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The Recent Rise (and Future Fall?) of Environmental Justice
For the past few months, the federal government has emphasized environmental justice issues in legislation and executive actions. Both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice have established Offices of Environmental...
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Seattle Tunnel Partners’ Bertha Case Sinks as Appeal Hits Dead End
In 2011, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) agreed to pay Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) $1.35 billion to construct a new tunnel under Seattle under a design-build contract. The project came to an abrupt halt when Bertha, the tu...
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Shared Savings Clauses: Contracting for Cooperation Rather Than Confrontation
More than two years removed from the first reported case of COVID-19 in the United States, the construction industry continues to cope with the pandemic’s lasting effect on the costs of new construction projects. These impacts include soaring constru...
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EPA Issues New HAL for Four Commonly Used PFAS
After months of speculation, on June 15, 2022, EPA issued its drinking water health advisory for four commonly used PFAS: PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and PFBS. EPA’s drinking water health advisories provide information on the levels of a specific contaminant t...
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Preparing for Summer: Oregon OSHA and Washington L&I Adopt New Excessive Heat and Wildfire Smoke Rules
Jun 10, 2022
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The Pacific Northwest experienced record high heat temperatures and poor air quality due to wildfires the past few summers. Last year, Oregon OSHA adopted temporary emergency rules following a historic heat wave to protect workers from high heat and...
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Big Changes May Be Coming to Davis-Bacon
The Davis-Bacon Act and the Davis-Bacon Related Acts (the “Acts”), and their corresponding rules circulated by the Department of Labor (DOL), propose the rules for the administration and enforcement of the Acts’ labor standards, which apply to federa...
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