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July 25, 2002 AGC teams with WSDOT for environment’s sakeBy DAVID HYMEL
AGC of Washington Education Foundation
Environmental education reduces erosion-related expenditures and exposure to environmental liability and keeps contractors informed of their environmental responsibilities on the jobsite. The Associated General Contractors of Washington Education Foundation has found that partnering with state and local regulatory agencies is a good way to provide this needed education. Program history Erosion issues dominate the environmental landscape in Washington state, where salmon and other species have been listed as endangered or threatened in virtually every major watershed. To improve compliance with water quality laws during construction, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has required contractors to participate in erosion control training since 1997. Contractors must have certified erosion control leads on staff to be eligible to work on WSDOT projects. Certification as an erosion control lead is granted for a three-year period after completion of a two-day course.
In its 2001 Stormwater Manual for Western Washington, the state Department of Ecology issued further restrictions, requiring erosion and spill control lead certification for work on most general construction projects in Western Washington. These new restrictions, coupled with the recent addition of several species of salmon to the endangered and threatened species list in Washington, triggered a dramatic increase in demand for erosion control training. To meet this demand, the WSDOT Environmental Affairs Office entered into a partnership agreement with the Education Foundation in June 2000. The foundation worked with WSDOT’s curriculum to deliver a statewide training program to contractors and staff from federal and state agencies, as well as county and local jurisdictions. The erosion control training program offered by the foundation is recognized by Ecology’s Stormwater Manual as meeting the erosion and spill control lead certification requirements. With this partnership, the foundation assumed a leadership role in construction site environmental training within the industry. According to Scott Carey, WSDOT’s statewide erosion control coordinator, “The Education Foundation’s training is largely responsible for the steady improvement we’re seeing in the quality of contractors’ erosion control work.” Initially, an ambitious, statewide schedule was planned: 18 training events for 600 students in 10 months (September 2000 to June 2001). However, due to increased interest and demand, the foundation completed twice the number of events intended, including 18 custom classes requested by cities, counties and organizations. By the end of the pilot program year, nearly double the anticipated number of students received certification as erosion control leads. From September 2000 to June 2002, the foundation has certified more than 1,950 erosion control leads in 50 training classes statewide. It soon became apparent that the need for environmental training had grown beyond soil erosion control.
The Stormwater Manual for Western Washington required submission of written stormwater pollution prevention plans, but until recently there was no formal training available to general contractors on how to write, update or maintain a quality erosion and sediment control plan. In addition, contractors in Western Washington are facing more restrictions working open soil during wet winter weather — unless they have a plan to adequately treat turbid construction stormwater before it leaves the site. To address these situations, the foundation added three courses to its environmental lineup: Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans for Construction Sites; Construction Site Stormwater Treatment; and Erosion Control Design Course. Challenges and opportunities Environmental training has become a primary component of that education and training mission. A small foundation staff is able to maintain its extensive list of construction education training only by entering into a variety of partnerships and soliciting support from the construction industry. The environmental program of the foundation sustains itself through tuition from the classes it offers and by creative support from its sponsors, including:
Providing these services presents the foundation with the opportunity to develop a leadership role in Washington’s construction industry for environmental training. Delivering these programs has raised environmental awareness of the construction community and has made a significant contribution towards preserving the natural resources of this region.
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