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Construction
Map showing location of U.S. facilities in this sector; please click on the map to see a larger version.
- Sector Profile
- Performance Data and Trends for this Sector
- EPA Sector Strategies Activities
- Resources
Sector Profile
The Construction sector consists of establishments engaged in constructing, renovating, and demolishing buildings and other engineering structures. The sector includes contractors in commercial, residential, highway, and heavy industrial (e.g., tunnels, airports, and dams) and municipal utility construction (e.g., wastewater treatment plants). Specialized trades within the sector include work that is commonly subcontracted such as plumbing, heating, masonry, and painting.
EPA and the states regulate construction site stormwater runoff, dredge and fill activities in U.S. waters and wetlands, oil and chemical spills, air emissions, asbestos handling, and solid/hazardous waste storage and disposal. Construction practices may also affect indoor air quality, materials recycling, energy use, and vegetation and habitat quality.
In response to increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of building, "green construction" is a growing trend. Green construction seeks to minimize the impacts of construction activities on the environment. This is achieved through materials selection, recycling and reuse, sustainable design, energy efficiency, etc.
Although residential construction has slowed considerably in recent years, spending on overall construction nearly doubled over the past decade. In 2006, the value of construction put in place totaled $1.1 trillion, or 9 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Spending on residential construction totaled $647 billion; nonresidential spending totaled $545 billion. More than 90 percent of construction companies have fewer than 20 employees.
Performance Data and Trends for this Sector
You can find recent data and trends for this sector in the Construction chapter of the most recent Sector Strategies Performance Report.
EPA Sector Strategies Activities
The Sector Strategies Program has a long-standing connection with the construction industry through the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). AGC represents all segments of the construction industry except homebuilders. This affiliation is working to overcome barriers to improvement by helping with compliance assistance and regulatory innovation, measuring results, and promoting the use of environmental management systems by construction contractors.
Compliance Assistance Guide for the Construction Industry
EPA's Office of Compliance published the Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities: A Planning Guide for Construction and Development (the MYER Guide). This assistance tool reflects significant input from stakeholders and is a product of a joint effort by the industry, states, other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and EPA.
The MYER Guide contains two sets of checklists and detailed discussion/case studies on major environmental areas (including stormwater) affecting the construction industry. It is designed to help the construction industry understand which environmental regulations apply to them, and it can be used during different phases of a construction project. The industry can use the Guide at the pre-bid phase to learn about the applicable environmental requirements so appropriate costs can be taken into consideration early. The industry can also use the responsibility-assignment checklist during the pre-construction phase to facilitate allocation of environmental responsibilities to all parties before breaking ground. In addition, the readers will find answers to many environmental questions and can conduct self audits by using the self-audit checklists included in Part II of the Guide, during the construction phase.
The MYER Guide is designed so that each of the checklists and chapters can be pulled out and used in the field. Hard copies are available at no cost from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at (800) 490-9198. Please specify document number EPA305-B-04-003 when you request a copy.The Sector Strategies Program also works with EPA's Office of Compliance to provide useful assistance services to the construction industry (see Sector-related Links below).
Regulatory Innovation
Sector Strategies is examining regulations and policies that affect the construction industry, looking for ways to reduce the burden of compliance while improving environmental performance. EPA regulations cover:
- Water effluent guidelines and storm water discharge permits,
- Wetlands dredge and fill discharge permits,
- Hazardous chemical and oil spill planning & reporting requirements,
- Solid and hazardous waste management,
- Hazardous waste cleanup and brownfields redevelopment,
- Asbestos releases, and
- Air pollution standards and voluntary programs for mobile and stationary sources, and requirements for state transportation plans to conform to air quality plans.
Construction and Climate: Potential For Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions In the Construction Sector
No single construction company is a significant greenhouse gas contributor, but the carbon footprint of the entire sector is substantial because the industry is so large. Sector Strategies' February 2009 report, Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Construction Sector (PDF) (49 pp, 803K About PDF), documents the industry's emissions and examines ways to reduce them. The report presents one scenario for cutting emissions by millions of tons per year.
Diesel Emission Reductions
Cleaner Diesels: Low-Cost Ways to Reduce Emissions from Construction Equipment (PDF) (38 pp, 433K About PDF), published in March 2007, documents a research project designed to study and identify low-cost ways to reduce emissions from non-road construction equipment. It reports on the costs and benefits of a number of these strategies/actions that may be taken by small companies (and medium or larger ones as well) in the Construction sector to reduce their emissions. Air pollution from diesel emissions is a public health concern that reaches every part of the country. The two main pollutants of concern in diesel exhaust that affect human health are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). The Construction sector is a significant contributor to these emissions, creating 32 percent of all mobile source NOx emissions and 37 percent of PM emissions.
Emission Reduction Incentives for Off-Road Diesel Equipment Used in the Port and Construction Sectors (PDF) (94 pp, 588K, About PDF), published in May 2005, documents the development of incentives to reduce diesel emissions from off-road equipment used in the Port and Construction sectors. This report contributed to the EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee's Recommendations for Reducing Diesel Emissions (PDF) (92 pp, 530K, About PDF).
Measuring Results
In 2007, a cross-EPA team examined appropriate measures of performance and availability of data from sources outside EPA. The September 2007 report, Measuring Construction Industry Environmental Performance (PDF) (42pp, 424K, About PDF), recommends ways to chart the industry's progress in green construction, debris management, diesel air emissions, stormwater permit coverage, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. The recommended measures were used in EPA's 2008 Sector Performance Report (PDF) (138 pp, 11.6MB, About PDF).
Tracking the environmental performance of the Construction sector presents challenges due to the large number of construction companies and construction sites, the prevalence of small businesses, and lack of data. Data that are commonly available for manufacturing sectors, such as chemical releases from EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, are either not applicable to or not available for the Construction sector. To address the measurement challenge, in September 2007 EPA recommended measures of performance for the sector covering energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, diesel air emissions, stormwater compliance, construction and demolition debris management, and green building practices.
These measures indicate several trends:
- Construction-related energy use is increasing faster than the growth in construction activity.
- Many construction companies have begun retrofitting older diesel equipment, reducing air pollution.
- More construction sites are complying with the requirement to obtain stormwater permits, although the percentage of construction sites in compliance is still unknown.
- The percentage of construction and demolition materials that are recycled varies widely from state to state; materials are recycled more in highway construction than building construction.
- In addition to constructing more green buildings, many contractors are “greening” their own operating practices.
Environmental Management Systems
In September 2004, Sector Strategies released a business case brochure highlighting the benefits of EMS implementation at construction facilities. Environmental Management Systems: Systematically Improving your Performance (PDF) (12 pp, 787K, About PDF) was created with assistance from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). AGC is working with the Sector Strategies Program to help the construction industry embrace environmental management systems.
According to AGC, its EMS template will help AGC members achieve and maintain compliance with environmental requirements; meet owner demands for green construction (including recycling and use of sustainable materials); and if a company desires, achieve environmental certifications (such as ISO and LEED).
Resources
Trade Associations
Associated General Contractors of America
offers many environmental services, including information on its collaborative efforts with Sector Strategies, green construction and recycling advances, environmental management systems, and environmental issues (some resources are for association members only).
NGOs
U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation. Its web site focuses on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, which encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
Key Documents
- Environmental Management Systems: Systematically Improving your Performance (PDF) (12 pp, 787K, About PDF)
- Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities: A Planning Guide for Construction and Development (the MYER Guide)
- Cleaner Diesels: Low Cost Ways to Reduce Emissions from Construction Equipment, March 2007 (PDF) (38 pp, 433K, About PDF)
- Emission Reduction Incentives for Off-Road Diesel Equipment Used in the Port and Construction Sectors, May 19, 2005 (PDF) (94 pp, 588K, About PDF)
- Measuring Construction Industry Environmental Performance (PDF) (42pp, 424K, About PDF)
Sector-related Links Within EPA
- EPA-sponsored Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center gives plain English explanations of environmental rules for construction sector.
- National Environmental Compliance Assistance Clearinghouse provides quick access to compliance assistance information.
- Compliance assistance publications—Federal Environmental Requirements for Construction and List of Compliance Assistance Tools for Construction Sites
- Construction & Demolition Debris
- Green Building
- EPA Small Business Ombudsman
- EPA EMS Web site provides an overview of environmental management systems with links to EMS guidance and programs.
- EPA's Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange Network is a residential construction hub.
Other resources
- P2Rx Topic Hub: Residential Construction is a guide to basic information with links to additional online resources.
- ENERGY STAR provides links to home builders and developers that build ENERGY STAR–qualified new homes, lenders that offer energy efficient mortgages, utilities that offer special incentives to buyers, and home energy raters that can verify the energy efficiency of a home.
- Construction and Demolition Debris Recycling
- Engineering News Record features a variety of construction industry data, including a number of lists of top-ranked firms in several different categories
- BuildingGreen, Inc. publishes “Environmental Building News,” a newsletter that focuses on green construction practices, trends, products, and related information
EPA Sector Contacts
Headquarters
Bob Benson
Construction Sector Lead, EPA Sector Strategies Program
Director, U.S. EPA Sector Strategies Division
Tel: (202)566-2954
E-mail: Bob Benson (benson.robert@epa.gov)
Emily Chow
Construction Workgroup Leader
Office of Compliance
Tel: (202) 564-7071
E-mail: Emily Chow (chow.emily@epa.gov)
Seth Heminway
Project Manager, Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center
Office of Compliance
Tel: (202) 564-7017
E-mail: Seth Heminway (heminway.seth@epa.gov)
Daniel Eddinger
Small Business Division
Tel: (202) 566-2820
E-mail: Daniel Eddinger (eddinger.daniel@epa.gov)
Gwen DiPietro
Resource Conservation Challenge, C& D debris
Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division
Tel: 703-308-8285
E-mail: Gwen DiPietro (dipietro.gwen@epa.gov)
Alison Kinn Bennett
Sustainable Building Projects
Pollution Prevention Division, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
Tel: (202) 564-8859, (202) 564-9299
E-mail: Alison Kinn Bennett (kinn.alison@epa.gov)
Regions
Region 1
Mary Dever
Tel: 617-918-1717
E-mail: Mary Dever (dever.mary@epa.gov)
Abby Swaine
Tel: 617-918-1841
E-mail: Abby Swaine (swaine.abby@epa.gov)
Jeri Weiss
Tel: 617-918-1568
E-mail: Jeri Weiss (weiss.jeri@epa.gov)
Region 2
Tristan Gillespie
Tel: 212-637-3753
E-mail: Tristan Gillespie (gillespie.tristan@epa.gov)
John Gorman
Tel: 212-637-4008
E-mail: John Gorman (gorman.john@epa.gov)
Kathleen Malone
Tel: 212-637-4083
E-mail: Kathleen Malone (malone.kathleen@epa.gov)
Region 3
David Byro
Tel: 215-814-5563
E-mail: David Byro (byro.david@epa.gov)
Richard Daly
Tel: 215-814-5535
E-mail: Richard Daly (daly.richard@epa.gov)
Lorna Rosenberg
Tel: 215-814-5389
E-mail: Lorna Rosenberg (rosenberg.lorna@epa.gov)
Chuck Schadel
Tel: 215-814-5761
E-mail: Chuck Schadel (schadel.chuck@epa.gov)
Janet Viniski
Tel: 215-814-2999
E-mail: Janet Viniski (viniski.janet@epa.gov)
Region 4
Delane Anderson
Tel: 404-562-9681
E-mail: Delane Anderson (anderson.catherine@epa.gov)
Region 5
Uylaine Barringer
Tel: 312-886-4454
E-mail: Uylaine Barringer (barringer.uylaine@epa.gov)
Abeer Hashem
Tel: 312-886-1331
E-mail: Abeer Hashem (hashem.abeer@epa.gov)
Linda Mangrum
Tel: 312-353-2071
E-mail: Linda Mangrum (mangrum.linda@epa.gov)
Paul Ruesch
Tel: 312-886-7598
E-mail: Paul Ruesch (ruesch.paul@epa.gov)
Donna Twickler
Tel: 312-886-6184
E-mail: Donna Twickler (twickler.donna@epa.gov)
Region 6
Diana McDonald
Tel: 214-665-7495
E-mail: Diana McDonald (mcdonald.diana@epa.gov)
Bonnie Romo
Tel: 214-665-8323
E-mail: Bonnie Romo (romo.bonnie@epa.gov)
Everett Spencer
Tel: 214-665-8060
E-mail: Everett Spencer (spencer.everett@epa.gov)
Region 7
Carol Levalley
Tel: 913-551-7610
E-mail: Carol Levalley (levalley.carol@epa.gov)
Region 8
Liz Rogers
Tel: 303-312-6974
E-mail: Liz Rogers (rogers.liz@epa.gov)
Region 9
Angela Baranco-Mason
Tel: 415-947-4262
E-mail: Angela Baranco-Mason (baranco.angela@epa.gov)
Ellen Blake
Tel: 415-947-3496
E-mail: Ellen Blake (blake.ellen@epa.gov)
Jim Grove
Tel: 415-947-4263
E-mail: Jim Grove (grove.jim@epa.gov)
Timonie Hood
Tel: 415-972-3282
E-mail: Timonie Hood (hood.timonie@epa.gov)
Elizabeth Janes
Tel: 415-972-3537
E-mail: Elizabeth Janes (janes.elizabeth@epa.gov)
Kathi Moore
Tel: 415-972-3505
E-mail: Kathi Moore (moore.kathi@epa.gov)
Andrew Sallach
Tel: 415-972-3503
E-mail: Andrew Sallach (sallach.andrew@epa.gov)
Region 10
Kristine Karlson
Tel: 206-553-0290
E-mail: Kristine Karlson (karlson.kristine@epa.gov)
Robyn Meeker
Tel: 206-553-7154
E-mail: Robyn Meeker (meeker.robyn@epa.gov)
Jeanne Odell
206-553-6919
E-mail: Jeanne Odell (odell.jeanne@epa.gov)
Misha Vakoc
Tel: 206-553-6650
E-mail: Misha Vakoc (vakoc.misha@epa.gov)