Hall of Fame State-Wide Scholarship Program (for students you think would benefit)
Since 1996, OCA has awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarships to support promising future talent studying for careers in Civil Engineering, Construction Technology and Construction Management. Scholarships are available for students with graduating goals set at the associate and bachelor's degree levels. OCA recognizes the value that our Hall of Fame Scholarship recipients bring to our industry. These scholarships are for students enrolled in a degree program in Civil Engineering, Construction Technology, Construction Management, or related studies.
Click here for registration information and a link for faculty recommendations. For questions, contact Rachel Sirca, Director of Member Services, at 614-488-0724 or [email protected].
AGC Starts New Year with Infrastructure Push
This week, the Infrastructure Working Group – led by AGC and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) – urged House and Senate leadership to take action on an infrastructure bill in 2018. Signed by more than 100 organizations representing construction, labor, finance, local government, and agriculture, the Working Group put forth a letter noting that infrastructure must continue to be a leading priority for *Congress and that an infrastructure bill should address the following goals:
Increasing direct federal investments, in a broad range of infrastructure sectors over 10 years to achieve a $1 trillion investment;
*Complementing and strengthening existing tools, such as municipal bonds, that successfully deliver infrastructure investments at the federal, state and local levels;
*Facilitating opportunities for private investment in U.S. infrastructure;
*Creating efficiencies such as accelerating the federal permitting process;
*Fixing chronic challenges and addresses reoccurring shortages in key federal infrastructure accounts such as the Highway Trust Fund; and
*Encouraging active participation among all levels of government and between the public and private sectors without shifting federal responsibilities because no single partner can deliver a well-functioning, national U.S. infrastructure network driven by a long-term vision and funding stability.
AGC will continue to work with the Infrastructure Working Group and other infrastructure stakeholders and coalitions to ensure that action is taken to transform the U.S. infrastructure systems beyond the status quo.
Asbestos Program Transferring from ODH to Ohio EPA
On Jan. 1, 2018, the Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) asbestos program will be transferred to Ohio EPA. The program transfer means that Ohio EPA will be the agency responsible for regulating asbestos training courses and professionals – including hazard abatement contractors, specialists, project designers and workers - currently regulated by the ODH. The goal of both agencies is to improve internal efficiency while making compliance easier for customers. The new combined asbestos program includes a few important changes for Ohio businesses. Although there will be no changes in fee amounts, all fees must now be paid at the time a notification form is submitted for it to be accepted and considered complete. Ohio EPA will also have the authority to suspend and revoke licenses. To assist customers, Ohio EPA is developing new software that will be implemented in two phases: Phase 1 will allow customers to submit online notification forms as of Jan. 5, 2018; Phase 2 is for the electronic submittal of licenses, certifications and course management in summer of 2018. For all online forms, the software will calculate applicable fees based on information provided in the form. Please note that the ODH online abatement project notification system will be turned off on Jan. 3, 2018. However, all other components of the ODH online system will remain active until the second phase of the Ohio EPA’s new software is made available. For more information about changes in the asbestos program, including upcoming webinars in December and January explaining these changes, go to epa.ohio.gov/asbestos. For more information, contact [email protected] or call (614) 466-0061.
New Registration Requirements for C&DD Processing Facilities
A construction and demolition debris (C&DD) processing facility is an offsite location used to process C&DD. Processing includes: receiving; sorting; handling; separating; moving; transferring; or recycling C&DD materials. Licensed solid waste transfer facilities and licensed solid waste facilities are not considered C&DD processing facilities and are not subject to these requirements. As of Oct. 6, 2017, owners or operators of C&DD processing facilities are required to submit a one-time application for registration to the licensing authority (approved health district or Ohio EPA). If the facility is located within an approved health district, the application must be submitted to both the health district and Ohio EPA. If the facility is not located within an approved health district, then the application only needs to be submitted to Ohio EPA. Both new and existing facilities (facilities operating prior to Oct. 6, 2017) are required to register, however existing facilities that register will be exempt from the new facility siting criteria that is currently under development. The registration form requires the owner/operator to provide a name, phone number and address of the processing facility, and a drawing of the facility layout. There is also a registration fee of $100 payable to the licensing authority.
The new rules also require a C&DD processing facility to obtain a permit and annual license from Ohio EPA or the local health department. They also cover the location, design and operations, storage and accumulation of materials, the process for closure and financial assurance for C&DD processing facilities. All permit details and the siting criteria for new facilities will be part of the upcoming rule making process. Further, an owner and/or operator of a C&DD processing facility should be aware that there are additional Ohio EPA regulations that may apply to the operations. Materials crushing, grinding, shredding and processing typically requires an air permit through Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control (DAPC). Roadways and storage piles may also require permitting through DAPC. Recycling and processing operations that are outdoors may also require a storm water permit through Ohio EPA’s Division of Surface Water. Additional regulatory obligations may be required for fluids and materials generated from general maintenance of your facility and associated equipment. For help determining regulatory requirements, contact Ohio EPA’s Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention at (800) 329-7518. For more information about these new rules and requirements, please visit Ohio EPA’s C&DD Processing Facilities – New Rulemaking Authority and Application for Registration fact sheet.
US Appeals Court Upholds Stiffer Silica Dust Rule
In a major ruling, a federal appeals court has rejected construction and other industries' challenges to a 2016 Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule toughening workers' exposure levels for silica dust, a substance that can cause lung cancer, silicosis and other respiratory illnesses. In its decision, issued on Dec. 22, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said OSHA had met legal requirements for, among other things, determining what standards are feasible, economically and technically. Leading the panel was Chief Judge Merrick Garland.
The OSHA rule reduces the exposure limit to 50 micrograms per cu meter for all industries, including construction. That standard is much more stringent than the previous level of 250 micrograms per cu m for construction and 100 micrograms per cu m for other industries. The rule took effect on June 23, 2017, for the construction industry and one year later for the foundry industry. For the hydraulic-fracturing industry, the date was June 23, 2021. OSHA began enforcing the construction silica standard on Sept. 23 but allowed a 30-day grace period for companies that were showing "good-faith" efforts to comply with the new rule.
Chris Cain, director of safety and health for North America's Building Trades Unions, called the court's decision "a huge win for the nation's construction workers and affirms that OSHA put out a strong, science-based standard." The Associated General Contractors of America, which was among the groups that challenged the OSHA regulation, disagreed with the ruling. AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr said, "It is disappointing that the appeals court has decided to allow the misguided federal silica rules to proceed despite the many legitimate concerns we and other groups raised about the measure." Sandherr added, "Today's decision underscores just how difficult it is to overturn federal regulations, even one as deeply flawed as this measure. That is why we have long cautioned our members to take every possible step to comply with this measure instead of gambling on a long-shot legal victory." Sandherr didn't raise the possibility of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, the opponents' last judicial recourse.
Brian Turmail, an AGC spokesman, said it is too early to determine whether there will be a further appeal. Shortly after the decision was released, Turmail said via email, "We need to review the final ruling more thoroughly before evaluating any possible next legal steps." The business groups contended that, among other issues, the regulation wasn't technically or economically feasible for the construction, foundry and hydraulic-fracturing industries. For their part, unions contended that OSHA did not go far enough in a couple of areas. The court did direct OSHA to revisit its decision to omit provisions for "medical removal protections" for silica-exposed workers.
Concrete Sealer Classes Scheduled
On behalf of ODOT’s Office of Materials Management, registration is now open for the following sessions of Work Type 57 Concrete Sealer Training:
February 16:
Webcast (Akron) – Click here to register
May 18: In-person (Columbus) – Click here to register
Webcast (Garfield Heights) – Click here to register
Webcast (Lebanon) – Click here to register
To access a PDF flyer for this training, click here. To view all courses that are currently available for enrollment, click here. If you have any questions regarding the online registration process, please contact Ohio LTAP by phone or email.
The Ohio LTAP Center
1980 W. Broad Street, Mail Stop #1240
Columbus, OH 43223
614-387-7359 or 1-877-800-0031 (Toll Free)
email: [email protected]
website: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/ltap
CompManagement to Offer Client Webinars
As a client of CompManagement, please join us for afree unemployment compensation webinar to be held in January. Click here to find out more and register.
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