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On Tuesday, �ԹϺ����� Chief Executive Officer Stephen E. Sandherr and Tom Couling (Zachry Constr), the chair of �ԹϺ�����’s environmental forum, joined senior officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the launch of the agency’s Smart Sectors program. EPA invited �ԹϺ����� to partner on an aggressive effort to eliminate or improve harmful rules that have failed to deliver results and stifled economic growth.

Ida Cheinman, Substance151It’s time that professional services firms faced a couple of hard truths: First, no one wants to subscribe to an e-newsletter, and second, a single email is not going to make the phones ring.

�ԹϺ����� filed comments this week on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s joint proposed rule to repeal the 2015 definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). �ԹϺ����� offered strong support for the agencies’ plan to re-codify regulatory text that existed prior to the 2015 WOTUS rule to “reflect[] the current legal regime under which the agencies are operating” following a nationwide stay of the rule by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Join Us Again Next Year on September 12-13, 2018, in Crystal City, Virginia!

�ԹϺ����� Submits Recommendations

Presents Case to Senate Committee

Anne Liberto, General Building Contractors AssociationEveryone wants and values their business relationships, but how do you establish effective business relationships? Is it just about meeting people? You meet someone, talk, and you have a relationship. Seems easy, yet effective business relationships take dedication and commitment. The following are key to building effective business relationships.

As part of EPA's compliance assistance for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) construction stormwater program, EPA created a "Do I Need A Permit?" flowchart to help construction operators determine if and from whom they need to get NPDES permit coverage for their construction activities. EPA also updated the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) template and Inspection and Corrective Action Report templates for the new 2017 Construction General Permit (CGP). These fillable templates help construction site operators develop a SWPPP and prepare inspection and corrective action reports that meet the requirements of EPA's 2017 CGP.

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reversed its June 2017 decision to delay by one year the final designation of counties that are not attaining the 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). EPA will now make those determinations by the October 1, 2017, deadline. The reversal came after news that 15 states and the District of Columbia were filing suit against EPA to enforce the original deadline. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has been critical of lawsuits (and settlement agreements) resulting from missed statutory deadlines.

Anne Liberto, General Building Contractors Association A brand is NOT a logo. Or a tagline. Or an identity system. A brand is an expectation of experience and a promise delivered. It’s the perception others have about your company – its people, culture, products, and services. Your company builds its brand, or rather the percepton of its brand, with every customer contact, planned or unplanned. Every interacton, no matter how insignificant, shapes your brand’s perception and drives your customers’ behavior. Rebranding is about taking control of what your audiences think – and say – about your brand. It’s a tool for changing existing perceptions and for defining and differentatng a brand, turning it into the most powerful competitive advantage and a weapon against becoming a commodity. A rebrand implies fundamental changes in thinking about your brand before you get involved in tactical details of execution.