The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals placed a nationwide stay  on the Obama Administration’s controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) final rule on Oct. 9. The final rule, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) May 27, greatly expands the Administration’s jurisdiction over water and land uses across the country under the Clean Water Act.

On Oct. 9, the ABC-led Construction Industry Safety Coalition submitted comments in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Request for Information (RFI) on Chemical Management and Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs). The RFI asked stakeholders how the agency should consider approaching health standard rulemaking, such as managing chemical exposures in workplaces.

Lewis Contractors of Owings Mills, Md., a member of ABC’s Baltimore Metro Chapter; and Ross & Associates, Ltd., of River Falls, Wisc., a member of ABC’s Wisconsin Chapter, have been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.

Kinsley Construction is a group of business units, each specializing in a specific market sector, such as education, healthcare, government, office, manufacturing, distribution, renovation, cultural, retail/commercial, hospitality and multi-family housing. The company is consistently ranked among the top 100 design/build firms and top 400 contractors in the nation, according to rankings by Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Every year, the elite group of Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) members are listed in the December issue of ABC’s magazine, Construction Executive (CE), which reaches more than 50,000 contractors and construction-related business owners and has won more than 15 editorial awards.  Starting this year, AQC members now have a new opportunity to promote this designation in the magazine.

ABC and Fringe Benefit Group announced the expansion of The Contractors Plan, a benefits platform designed specifically for construction contractors, to include a full suite of benefits including Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant major medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement and HRA plans – all managed through a single online platform.

Employers can now be cited for not complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) confined spaces in construction final rule. A temporary enforcement policy of not issuing citations--provided employers made good-faith efforts to comply--expired on Oct. 2.

If there’s one thing we can do collectively to advance our industry, it is to ensure that we continue to attract and retain talented people to meet the nation’s ever-increasing construction needs. October is Careers in Construction Month, and ABC is highlighting programs that promote life-long learning experience—and national recognition based on achievement at every level.

ABC and  several other major business groups have invited leading contenders for the 2016 presidential race to speak with their members in a series of teleforums.

ABC continued its longstanding opposition to the Obama administration’s blacklisting proposal by submitting a letter for the record in support of the Sept. 29 Committee on Small Business Subcommittees on Contracting and the Workforce and Investigations, Oversight and Regulations hearing titled The Blacklist: Are Small Businesses Guilty Until Proven Innocent?