The National Association of Realtors reports that the United States Senate voted 67-32 to approve the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act (S. 1926), sponsored by Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Isakson (R-GA) on Jan. 30, 2014. The bill calls for a 4-year timeout on rate increases triggered either by a property’s sale or a flood map update for a property with previously grandfathered rates and creates a flood insurance advocate within FEMA to investigate home owner complaints of multiple different or excessive rate quotes. The bill is now in the House.
Northeast Engineers | Blog
Senate Passes Flood Insurance Bill
February 10th, 2014Septic Repair Loan Program Approved
November 14th, 2013
A new loan program aims to ease the financial burden on the hundreds of homeowners in Portsmouth required to replace their cesspools with modern septic systems. The RIDEM Cesspool Phase Out Act requires the replacement of cesspools statewide within 200 feet of the coast, a public well, or certain surface water supplies by the end of this year; an expensive endeavor. The loan program was recently approved by the Portsmouth Town Council. Read the rest of this entry »
Coming Soon… Revised Phase I ESA Standard (E1527-13)
October 7th, 2013ASTM E1527-13 Update
The updated ASTM standard for Phase I ESA’s will likely be published next month.
I posted this blog in June summarizing the proposed changes in the new ASTM standard for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, E1527-13. In August, the EPA issued a proposed rule recognizing that E1527-13 may be used to satisfy the requirements for conducting All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Some objections were submitted during the public comment period which ended on September 16, therefore, the EPA must now consider and respond to these comments. According to Julie Kilgore, chair of the ASTM committee responsible for developing the new standard, ASTM is expected to publish the final version of E1527-13 next month with the EPA following in early 2014. EDR recently hosted an informative webinar on the topic that Dianne Crocker summarizes in more detail in her blog.
If you’re not prepared for the revised standard now is the time. Contact us if you would like more information or to schedule an educational presentation.
Blog post by Jason Gold, P.E.
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