The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comment on its proposal to eliminate the dual standard for compliance with rules pertaining to testing of land that may have been contaminated by chemical pollution.
Currently, companies that want to build on land that might have existing chemical contamination must first conduct an assessment using an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) protocol or risk liability for a cleanup under the federal Superfund law.
A 2013 revision to the EPA rules added the most recent ASTM methods without removing a 2005 version. ASTM no longer uses the 2005 standard, but the newer version added a requirement to check all government agency mandates that required the use of two different standards, critics say.
Developers and landowners complained that having two different standards was a prescription for lawsuits. EPA has opened a public comment period for a change that would let project backers follow just one set of rules.
(http://news.agc.org/2014/06/30/epa-to-phase-out-use-of-older-standard-for-phase-i-assessments/)
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | May 18, 2021
Cross-laminated timber performs better than expected in shear test
Tests conducted in support of new criteria for design of CLT diaphragm.
Codes and Standards | May 17, 2021
Latest Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices criticized for not considering bikes, pedestrians
More than a dozen advocacy groups want feds to start over.
Codes and Standards | May 13, 2021
LEED-certified federal buildings don’t use less energy than average
May be due to trade-offs on how score is developed.
Codes and Standards | May 12, 2021
White paper examines how to reduce pathogen transmission in ventilation
Pressure barriers and airflow distribution can be effective in existing buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 11, 2021
Pressure builds on White House to rein in cost of lumber
Spike in prices has added nearly $36,000 to price of average new home.
Codes and Standards | May 11, 2021
Residential codes should be upgraded to protect from cooking pollutants
Report examines ventilation standards, calls for increased public awareness of issue.
Codes and Standards | May 6, 2021
Blue roofs can provide relief to overwhelmed stormwater systems
Benefits most evident in industrial commercial areas.
Codes and Standards | May 5, 2021
Majority of schools took steps to improve air quality during pandemic
Districts still have unmet needs, face high costs and outdated building infrastructure.
Codes and Standards | May 4, 2021
Cost to keep Miami dry over next few decades is $4 billion
Rising seas demand big investment.
Codes and Standards | May 3, 2021
Fire stops critical to preserving three-decker housing
Old multi-family structures continue to provide badly needed homes in urban zones.
