On Sept. 28, after failing to secure the support of at least 59 of his Senate colleagues, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., requested that his efforts to attach language on federal permitting reform for energy projects be removed from the must-pass continuing resolution, ensuring smooth passage of a government funding bill ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.
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On Aug. 31, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration released a proposed waiver of Buy America requirements for the construction of electric vehicle chargers receiving federal assistance.
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On Aug. 22, ABC submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation in opposition to union labor requirements included in a proposed rule establishing the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.
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The comment deadline for the Federal Highway Administration’s June 22 proposed rule for the National Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program is Aug. 22. The proposed rule would require contractors to use government-registered apprentices and the controversial union-backed Electric Vehicle Industry Training Program.
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On Aug. 2, ABC issued a statement of support for S.J.Res.55, a Congressional Review Act resolution introduced by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to overturn the Biden administration’s final rule revising National Environmental Policy Act regulations. The new Biden rule reverses efforts by the Trump administration to update and streamline the federal environmental review and permitting process, leading to delays and increased costs for critical infrastructure projects.
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On June 21, the Biden administration released its Spring 2022 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The agenda lists upcoming rulemakings and other regulatory actions from each agency that the administration expects to publish this year and into 2023. ABC has prepared a summary of the actions of interest to ABC members by agency.
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The Biden administration has pledged to support the installation of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers across the country by 2030 as part of a domestic push to shift away from gas-powered vehicles. On June 9, the Federal Highway Administration announced a proposed rule for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program that requires contractors to use government-registered apprentices and the controversial union-backed Electric Vehicle Industry Training Program.
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Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s rulemaking reverses the much-needed efforts of the previous administration to update and streamline the federal environmental review and permitting process. Modernizing this process would be a bipartisan win, as both sides of the aisle have long identified the need for faster, more efficient permitting. While Congress recently passed legislation providing an unprecedented investment in our nation’s infrastructure, including language specifically calling for streamlined environmental review, today’s rulemaking will delay the completion of these critical projects and increase costs for the construction industry and taxpayers without providing meaningful environmental benefits.
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On Feb. 7, ABC, as a member of the Waters Advocacy Coalition, filed comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” applicable to all Clean Water Act programs. The rule would repeal the Trump administration Navigable Waters Protection Rule and codify a definition that reflects the pre-2015 regulatory regime that the agencies are currently implementing. Raising numerous important concerns, the coalition urged the agencies to withdraw the proposed rule, reconsider the rule while addressing the coalition’s concerns and reengaging stakeholders, and repropose a rule that adheres to the CWA and relevant U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
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On Jan. 28, ABC submitted comments to the Federal Highway Administration on behalf of member contractors who install and perform work related to electric vehicle charging stations and other alternative clean energy fuel stations. ABC said needlessly excluding all contractors and workers who do not participate in the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program and/or government-registered apprenticeship programs from building EV charging station and alternative fuel projects could be problematic.
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