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AGC Advocacy Update
Association is pushing increased
highway funding and infrastructure investment,
more industry input on environmental issues and safety regulations
Markets
As the only construction trade association
to advance all construction markets, AGC continues to lead
the industry in advancing infrastructure investment. With
a looming May 31 deadline for renewing a highway program,
AGC continues to lobby for enactment of a bill that increases
funding, protects budgetary firewalls, promotes environmental
streamlining and improves work-zone safety.
On Feb. 17, AGC staff met with Transportation
Secretary Norman Mineta and White House Deputy Chief of Staff
Karl Rove. In that meeting, AGC emphasized that the president's
proposal of $284 billion (over six years) for highway and
transit prog-rams was a significant boost from the administration's
previous position. However, AGC noted that the level of funding
was not sufficient to meet the needs of donor states and that
additional funding sources need to be considered.
The president's budget also called for
reductions in safe drinking water and wastewater state revolving
funds. AGC is making the case that underfunding these critical
environmental programs will only increase their ultimate cost.
AGC continues its efforts, as a part of the Water Infrastructure
Network, to seek reliable sources of funding for water infrastructure
investment.
AGC also is pressing for the delayed
reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act and
lobbying for additional funding for critical waterways infrastructure
projects.
Environment
Our partnership with the Environmental
Protection Agency provides AGC with a unique opportunity to
demonstrate to regulators how environmental enforcement impacts
the industry. Within that framework, AGC has influenced stormwater
regulations, chaired an industry work group on retrofitting
diesel equipment, commented on proposed revisions to oil spill
prevention policies and made suggestions to proposed green
building specifications.
Safety
AGC played a leading role in negotiated rulemaking on crane
certification regulations at the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. Throughout that process, AGC made the case
that a one-size-fits-all approach does not properly reflect
the demographics of the industry and the various types of
lifting equipment found on most construction sites.
Earlier this year, AGC submitted comments on proposed standards
for hexavalent chromium, paperwork reduction, payment for
personal protective equipment and OSHA's voluntary protection
program.
For more information, visit www.agc.org.
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