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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that it plans to survey general contractors regarding their recent renovation, repair and painting (RRP) activities in public- and private-sector commercial buildings.  EPA has asked for public comment by Feb. 4 on the scope and clarity of the questions included in its draft Information Collection Request (ICR), as well as its underlying assumptions and burden/cost estimates.  EPA is taking these steps because it needs more data on whether or not RRP activities in buildings expose the public to lead-based paint (LBP) dust.  If EPA determines such activities create LBP “hazards,” the agency will write additional rules that will apply to building contractors. 

Many contractors will find more projects to bid on in 2014 than they have in the past five years. Judging by recent producer price indexes, they should be spared most materials price shocks. However, labor availability will become an increasing concern.

�鶹��ý is constantly working to provide you with the tools and resources necessary to help your business and advance the interests of the construction industry. Back in 2008, when the economy took a severe hit, construction was one of the most adversely affected industries and, as we all know, it has been a rocky road to recovery. Today, demand is finally starting to pick back up, even if that growth has not been as steady or as robust as any of us would like.

The theme of this year’s 2013 �鶹��ý Building Contractors Conference is “Increasing Your Firm’s Productivity Through Industry Innovations”. The event brings together high-level leaders in the building construction industry to share, learn and discuss the issues that are essential to them and their business. This event is quickly approaching and you will not want to miss any of the sessions or networking opportunities.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) remained positive again in July with a 52.7 reading, improving on the June score of 51.6.  As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.

In recent years, �鶹��ý members have been pressed to deliver more services at lower cost, while maintaining the highest quality. Recognizing this challenge, �鶹��ý developed a “Doing More With Less” webpage, which contains a number of tools and resources to help members maximize their efficiency.

In May, the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI), rebounded back into growth territory with a reading of 52.9 after last month’s reading dropped below 50 to 48.6. This was the first significant decrease in design activity after eight straight months of gains.

At the 2013 Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) Spring Owners Leadership Conference, Mortenson Construction conducted a survey on construction owner’s perspective on facility management and project delivery.  More than 60 facilities professionals including facilities leaders for organizations such as higher education, healthcare and government participated in the survey.

�鶹��ý testified at a U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) public hearing on June 26, 2013, regarding EPA’s ongoing evaluation into whether and how to regulate renovation, repair and painting (RRP) activities in all public and commercial buildings that purportedly have lead-based paint. 

On July 2, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the results of the member ballot for the newest version of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for green buildings.  With 67 percent of the overall vote needed to pass the changes, LEEDv4 received 86 percent if the membership’s vote.  USGBC will launch LEED v4 this fall at its annual conference, Greenbuild, in November 2013.