Brendan Stead’s Post

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the USA has published a groundbreaking labelling programme designed to promote the use of sustainable construction materials. This announcement, aligned with the Biden Administration's “Federal Buy Clean Initiative,” aims to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment while stimulating the domestic manufacturing sector – and it is likely to have huge implications for the entire construction industry right across the world. You can read about it here: https://lnkd.in/eBg2GaAA #construction #environment #engineering #sustainability

Environmental concerns have become the most discussed topic for the last few years. Let us know How the Construction Industry is Impacting the Environment. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 👇 https://rb.gy/xuhgjw 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰 🌍 equipmentanywhere.com #constructionenvironment #greenbuilding #climatechange #sustainableconstruction #ecofriendlyconstruction #carbonfootprint #environmentalimpact

Compliance in Excess Soil Management: Building Responsibly for the Future Excess soil management is a cornerstone of sustainable construction and environmental stewardship. With the increasing focus on reducing environmental risks and ensuring responsible land use, Ontario has introduced stringent regulations under O. Reg. 406/19: On-Site and Excess Soil Management. Non-compliance can lead to severe financial penalties, project delays, and irreversible environmental harm. What is Excess Soil? Excess soil refers to surplus earth materials, such as soil, rock, and other natural substances, excavated during construction, landscaping, or demolition. This material, not needed at the site of origin, must be safely managed and transported for reuse or disposal. Key Regulatory Requirements Under Ontario's O. Reg. 406/19, the following principles guide excess soil management: Soil Characterization: Mandatory testing to determine the chemical and physical properties of soil before excavation. Transportation Requirements: Soil must be accompanied by documentation, including a tracking system, to monitor its movement. Reuse Standards: Excess soil can only be reused if it meets specific quality standards to protect sensitive sites. Disposal Restrictions: Disposal of excess soil must avoid areas such as wetlands, forests, or farmland to prevent contamination. Why Compliance Matters Ignoring regulations can result in: Hefty Fines: Non-compliance penalties can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Project Delays: Corrective actions due to non-compliance can disrupt timelines. Environmental Damage: Mishandling soil may contaminate water supplies, agricultural land, or ecosystems. Martech Group: Your Partner in Compliance At Martech Group, we specialize in excess soil management, ensuring your projects are both compliant and environmentally responsible. How We Help: Regulatory Expertise: We provide guidance aligned with O. Reg. 406/19 and other applicable regulations. End-to-End Solutions: From soil testing and documentation to transportation and reuse/disposal, we handle it all. Risk Mitigation: We proactively address compliance risks to avoid costly setbacks. Sustainable Practices: By prioritizing soil reuse, we help reduce waste and promote eco-friendly construction. Let Martech Group Manage Your Excess Soil Needs With our deep expertise in environmental and civil engineering, we simplify compliance while helping your project stay on track. info@martechgroup.ca | 1-855-291-4663 www.martechgroup.ca #ExcessSoilManagement #OReg40619 #EnvironmentalCompliance #SustainableConstruction #MartechGroup #SoilManagement #EcoFriendlySolutions

New US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Label Program Boosts Sustainable Construction Materials The Biden-Harris Administration has introduced an EPA label program to promote cleaner construction materials aiming to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This initiative, backed by the Inflation Reduction Act, leverages federal purchasing power to boost demand for climate-friendly materials, supporting U.S. manufacturing and jobs. Connecting the Dots with EPDs: Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have long provided comprehensive environmental impact data, including global warming potential, resource use and more. The new EPA label enhances these efforts by setting specific emissions reduction criteria, offering federal endorsement, and integrating sustainability into procurement processes. For sustainability professionals in the AEC industry, this program means easier identification and selection of sustainable materials that meet stringent federal standards. For example, a construction project using EPA-labeled steel can ensure lower emissions, aligning with both project sustainability goals and federal guidelines. Learn more about the EPA label program here: https://loom.ly/hdtBRNk #architecture #construction #sustainability

Enhancing the ability to assess and optimize the environmental impacts of construction projects across their entire life cycle, thereby contributing credits. #Sustainability #LifeCycleAssessment

The Regulation aims to strengthen and modernise rules in place since 2011 and incentivise supply and demand for environmentally sustainable construction products. What do you need to know? #WilliamFry #Sustainability #ConstructionProducts #ESG #Ireland, Cassandra Byrne, Jarleth Heneghan, Liam McCabe

Protecting the environment is our priority. 🌱 Marschke Engineering offers environmental engineering services to ensure your project meets sustainability standards and minimizes impact.#EnvironmentalEngineering #Sustainability #EcoFriendlyProjects

The US is finally getting serious about carbon. The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced USD160m in grants to target the widespread adoption of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). The aim is to to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacture of construction materials and products. Much of this funding has gone to the respective industry organisations to educate and standardise EPD use and enable their wider adoption. The Department of Energy earlier this year granted USD1.5b for industrial decarbonisation projects for steel. A focus on life cycle analysis and scaling carbon’s monitoring and tracking will be a major initiative in the USA over the next couple of years. Our recent guest to NZ, Don Davies PE,SE , a US-based industry champion for low-carbon construction and an authority on life cycle analysis (LCA) in building, says there is an opportunity for New Zealand to capitalise on this momentum, “while adopting the ideas in a uniquely New Zealand way….as you aways do”. #steelconstruction #structuralsteel #steelliveson #trustinsteel #steelsupportsdesigninnovaton #steelisbeautiful #steelisthebackboneofNZ #madeinAotearoa

Apparently Steve Reed, UK Environment Secretary, has described bat mitigation on HS2 in Buckinghamshire as a 'batshit crazy' waste of £100m. Surely, this phrase better describes the whole HS2 project - not just one aspect of its ecological mitigation? The plain fact is that if the scheme was designed with environmental sustainability as its core principle it would have been easier to design the avoidance of sensitive features like Sheephouse Wood SSSI. A 125mph railway could have integrated with the rest of the network, addressed capacity issues and gone further for less money and probably wouldn't need the proposed mitigation structure. I'm sure most of the ecologists working on the project would rather see this money spent on habitat creation, but here we are. My biggest concern is that this government is backsliding on ecological commitments over 10 years in design & development due to cost alone. This creates a worrying precedent for all developers to make environmental commitments at design and consent stage and then renege on these when it comes to construction.