Housing Policy: Rep. Barney Frank's long-awaited preservation bill has a controversial provision giving the Department of Housing and Urban Development the right of first refusal when a property is put up for sale
Home Star Bill Slated for Introduction in House
Several House members planned this afternoon to introduce legislation creating Home Star, a measure designed to spur employment by giving tax credits for energy retrofits of homes. The bill was to be unveiled at a news conference featuring Reps. Edward Markey, D-Mass.; Peter Welch, D-Vt.; Vern Ehlers, R-Mich.; and Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif. In addition, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association president Michael O'Brien was slated to speak at the news conference. That’s a possible sign that the group's specific concerns about Home Star--a program it generally supports--have been resolved.
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NLBMDA Presses EPA To Delay Lead Rule; EPA Says It's 'On Target'
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association urged the Environmental Protection Agency to delay the April 22 launch date of a rule designed to reduce the spread of dust from lead-based paint during renovations of older homes. NLBMDA says there hasn't been enough proper preparation to implement the rule, but the EPA said it is "on target" for an April 22 start.
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EPA, DOE Take Steps to Strengthen Energy Star
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy are taking steps to further strengthen the trusted Energy Star program. A new system is being put in place to expand testing of all products that earn the Energy Star label. HousingZone.com
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U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon ruled last week that seven families would be entitled to a combined total of $2.6 million for the damage Chinese drywall had done to their homes. Unfortunately these families my never get to collect the money from Taishan Gypsum, a firm that’s owned by the Chinese government. States News Service
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A hearing is scheduled Tuesday on a motion by Orleans Homebuilders Inc. of Bensalem for debtor-in-possession financing to continue operations while the company is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
(The Philadelphia Inquirer)
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A federal judge in Louisiana on Thursday ruled in favor of a group of homeowners in a suit against a Chinese drywall manufacturer, the first such judicial finding against an offshore maker of drywall that is allged to emit noxious fumes and corrode household wiring and plumbing.
(BIG BUILDER News)
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The proposed Protecting America's Workers Act, which is making its way through Congress, proposes a number of major changes to enforcement of the OSH Act, but most significantly, increases criminal and civil penalties and the frequency and targets of criminal charges under the Act. Head’s up. HousingZone.com
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Key Contract Negotiation Points to Minimize Construction
Claims and Allocate Risk
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 • 1:00-2:30 PM EDT
If you're involved in writing, negotiating or signing construction contracts, you won't want to miss what these top construction attorneys have to say. Click here to register now.
The Role of the Owners Representative
Construction contracts are rife with requirements that the contractor provide the owner or owner’s representative with written notice of occurrences: delay, changed work, unforeseen site conditions, anything that can lead to a contractor's claim for relief under the contract. The issue which arises time after time is whether the contractor’s failure to provide timely written notice deprives the contractor of a remedy. read more.
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