AGC Environmental Interest Group Develops Position on Job Site Source Separation of C&D Materials Ahead of Possible New Regulation

As part of AGC’s Conversations with series for members, Jim McQuade, MA DEP Outreach Coordinator, presented information on DEP’s progress on job site source separation.  He requested that AGC discuss the advisability of DEP developing a possible regulation to mandate job site source separation of certain C&D materials at job sites with clean gypsum being one of the products.

As a result, AGC convened a special group meeting on June 16 to develop an updated position in advance of a June 23 DEP C&D Materials’ Subcommittee, where such a conceptual regulation will be discussed.

For the past few years, AGC has been participating in these Gypsum Working Group meetings, with attendance primarily from the processors. Until recently, the discussion has been centered on the need to include clean gypsum wallboard as the next material to be banned from state landfills. There will, in all likelihood, be a ban in place by December 31, 2009.  Howev er, because gypsum wallboard is seen as a contributor of hydrogen sulfide gasses at state landfills, there has been a rising pushback from processors that generators be included in the management of clean gypsum wallboard - beginning at the job site.

AGC has been steadfast in its position that a blanket job site source separation regulation for all materials is impractical and almost impossible at every job site due to tight staging areas in urban locations. In addition, we have been proponents of economic incentives as the means for contractors to embrace source separation. Further, AGC has always stated that if the state is going to mandate new regulations, let it first embrace it on its own public projects. (Effective immediately, DCAM is including clean gypsum recycling on its state projects.)

At this week's AGC Environmental meeting, members indicated that many firms are attempting to reach a LEED "Innovative Design" rating of  95%, which assumes that there is source separation of certain materials already taking place. The group felt that a ban would be the best avenue to succeed as it would drive the market to incentivize contractors that source separate.

AGC has been asked to attend the June 23 DEP meeting to engage in a dialogue by reviewing options, offering practical alternatives, and finding solutions to better managing the separation of clean gypsum wallboard waste at the job site.  For additional information on this subject, contact Bob Petrucelli at petrucelli@agcmass.org.