New Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for lead paint take effect today, which just happens to be Earth Day.   These new guidelines require contractors involved in the removal of lead based materials to be certified and follow stringent work practices to prevent lead contamination.

This new regulation will apply to all contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects in target projects constructed prior to 1978, when the federal government banned the use of lead-based paint.  Failure to follow these new guidelines will result in fines of up to $37,300 and or jail time. Target projects are those that involve any renovation, removal or repair of painting projects in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.  The EPA is expecting that more that 125,000 contractors will enroll and become certified in lead safe practices this week alone.  This one day course at a cost of $300 dollars has it’s equal share of fans and critics.  

While the EPA might not be bleeding edge on environmental concerns, many vocal participants in  the construction field have voiced their complaints from the cost of the classes, increased regulations, and the issue that new regulations will increase the cost of lead paint removals for consumers, thus reducing their job prospect's.  

The removal of lead materials is known to increase exposure to lead contaminated dust, which is associated with developmental and behavior problems in children as well as high blood pressure and hypertension in adults, among other associated physical and environmental risks. So, I don’t why this minimal cost of training is a concern considering the health risks to homeowners and construction employees to warrant negative feedback.  

Disposal of these materials is a whole other issue.  Where we live, we are fortunate to have a local drop off location for hazardous waste, which will also supply you with materials to package waste free of charge, ensuring that this waste doesn’t enter the local landfill.  I’m not sure how it works in other communities, but would love your input.  Looking forward to reading your comments.

Making a better connection with the sun and making efficient use of the sun's energy could solve a lot of social and economic problems. The 20th Century visionary, Buckminster Fuller, is best known for his discovery of the Geodesic Dome that makes efficient use of construction materials.He coined the phrase doing more with less and introduced the world to this concept of synergy; unfortunately the roof of a dome is not well suited for a harvesting sunlight. Bucky believed we have wondered too far from the roots and have detached ourselves from the basic forces of nature that make life possible. Photo-voltaic applications are becoming more affordable for some, but PV is still a long term investment for most people. This article was written for the do-it-yourself, handyman interested in making a cost effective connection with the sun.

Batch Heaters for warm climate

Waste management at the construction site isn’t a new concept, and is in place all over the country. However most of these efforts are voluntary and easy to overlook when landfills keep piling up. It’s estimated that more than 325 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D) waste material is generated in the United States every year. The average home is estimated to produce 2.5 to 4 tons of waste during its construction. This accounts for materials such as lumber, drywall, masonry, cardboard and metals. It’s not rare for all of this to be piled into a single bin and driven to a landfill to be disposed of. Especially when it’s cheaper to do that than separate the materials onsite or go through a recycling authority.

With rating systems like LEED and the National Green Building Standard gaining momentum, more emphasis is placed on waste diversion and management plans. They're both needed if a building is to be certified under these systems. Even the State of California, with its recent adoption of the CalGREEN standard, requires at least 50% waste diversion from the job site. This will reduce the amount of construction waste flowing to landfills and get everyone to think about how to control and reduce waste generation.

Here's a good article about our exclusive project delivery method, Total Project Management.

http://www.hoffman.net/attachments/Total_Project_Management_Greener.pdf

Let me know your thoughts!
Pete

During these tough economic times it is a welcome change of pace to see any positive progress. The Los Angeles Times yesterday ran an article highlighting a new study by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) covering an upturn in construction activity. According to the study, the increase in October 2009 was “the highest level of new business for the nation’s architects since August 2008.” This welcome news should not be interpreted as a complete turnaround however, as noted by Kermit Baker, chief economist for the AIA. Rather this news serves as a signal that the construction industry may start pulling out of its slump sooner rather than later. 

Not every member of the AIA agrees with the report as well, with Richard Keating of Keating Khang Architecture saying “We haven’t seen anything that would substantiate that, not here in Southern California.” I may not be very knowledgeable, but it seems to me as if Southern California always has a site under construction. The report provides a more general outlook for the industry as a whole and can function as an indicator for trends to come.  As mentioned in the article, architectural billings are a primary signal of ‘future development due to builders taking an adverse stance on spending money on design.’