NRCA applauds EPA’s final denial to classify PVC as a hazardous material
On April 26, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its final denial of the Center for Biological Diversity’s petition requesting that discarded PVC be classified as a hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
In a Jan. 12 tentative denial, the EPA stated: “The petition does not present evidence that discarded PVC presents a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when solid waste is improperly treated, stored, transported or disposed of, or otherwise managed.”
NRCA was a critical coalition member in providing data that led to this ruling; however, the EPA had requested additional feedback up until Feb. 13 before making a final ruling. NRCA submitted additional comments to provide robust documentation and argumentation for the EPA to learn about the Center for Biological Diversity’s weak reasoning and to show additional support for a successful final determination.
Federal Trade Commission approves final rule regarding noncompete agreements
The Federal Trade Commission approved a final rule to prohibit the use of noncompete agreements by employers for most employees. The agency argues the rule is needed because such clauses in employment contracts constitute an unfair method of competition and therefore violate Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Once implemented, existing noncompete agreements for most employees will no longer be enforceable; however, some existing agreements with senior executives will be allowed to remain in force under the new rule. Employers will be required to notify non-senior executives who are bound by existing agreements that their agreements will not be enforced. NRCA had submitted comments based on member input opposing the original proposed rule released in January 2023. It is expected the final rule will face one or more legal challenges from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. The final rule will take effect 120 days after publication in the Federal Register, which is expected soon.
Department of Labor online forum regarding federal labor laws
The Department of Labor will host an online forum May 8-9, “Ensuring a Strong Foundation of Compliance with Federal Labor Laws in Construction.” The event will focus on compliance with federal laws and regulations governing wages, safety and other workplace issues and will include presentations and panel discussions with officials from agencies within the department. There is no cost for the event, but registration is required.
Reminder to Roofing Day in D.C. 2024 attendees—let us know how we did!
Roofing Day in D.C. 2024 was held April 16-17 in Washington, D.C., to allow roofing industry professionals to advocate on behalf of solutions to workforce challenges and pro-growth tax legislation. This year, we welcomed nearly 250 registered participants from 39 states who engaged with more than 225 congressional offices. Each year, we strive to improve our program and attendee experience and would love to hear from you regarding how we did.
If you attended, please take a moment to log into your Advocacy Day App or web portal at www.advocacyday.net/nrca and let us know what you liked and how we can improve. Our survey can be found on the left side under “Event Feedback.” Each submission will be entered to win one of three complimentary Roofing Day in D.C. registrations for April 8-9, 2025.
