| Green Building Series: Legal Issues of Solar Energy Series |
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1/21/2009 Link
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Once the sole domain of the ecologically minded, the green movement has gone mainstream. Part of the green movement has been the increase in solar power use in homes and businesses. People decide to buy solar electric systems, which are also called photovoltaic (“PV”) systems, for a variety of reasons. Some want to preserve fossil fuels and reduce air pollution. Some want to invest in an energy producing improvement to their property. Still others like the independence of a solar system, making them less vulnerable to increases in energy prices. Submitted by Julio Driggs.
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| New Form I-9 Required for Use February 2, 2009 |
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January 30, 2009 Link
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By Matt Gunn
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services submitted an interim rule in late December 2008 in order to further streamline the employment eligibility verification process for employers. Among the most critical updates to the process are revisions to the Form I-9 that include modifications of the available List A documents and a requirement the all documents presented in the employment eligibility verification process must now be unexpired. These new requirements and the new Form I-9 are effective February 2, 2009.
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| Frost Brown Todd Construction Attorney Becomes LEED Accredited |
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1/29/2009 Link
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On January 13, 2009, Frost Brown Todd Associate Christopher Dutton passed the LEED NC2.2 exam and achieved the designation of Leadership in Energy and Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). The United States Green Building Counsel (USGBC) promotes LEED certification for construction projects as “third party validation of a project’s green features and verification that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to.” Since its inception in 2000, the LEED green building rating system has become the most well recognized and highly regarded system for qualification of high performance, "green" design and construction. Chris is the first LEED Accredited Professional licensed to practice law in both Ohio and Kentucky and one of only about a dozen LEED accredited attorneys in the combined states. Chris will use his knowledge of the LEED certification process, in addition to his degree in construction management and years of industry experience, to advise clients in contract drafting, risk avoidance, and litigation pertaining to green design and construction.
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| TDOT Elects Not to Privatize |
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1/29/2009 Link
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With all eyes focused on the Tennessee Department of Transportation ("TDOT") regarding upcoming road construction (read infrastructure) projects, TDOT has determined that it will not privatize any of its traditional responsibilities. Infrastructure Corporation of America, which manages interstates in Florida, Texas, and South Carolina, had hoped to take over some responsibilities for Tennessee's roadways in 2009. The Brentwood, Tennessee-based company had successfully lobbied other states to privatize such services as rest area maintenance and road paving, promising, for example, an estimated seventeen percent (17%) savings to the Florida government. Submitted by Brian Neal.
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| President Obama's Economic Stimulus Package: Are Your Ducks in a Row? |
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1/29/2009 Link
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The inaugural concerts, speeches and parties are over. It is now time for President Obama and Congress to focus on the much anticipated $800 billion economic stimulus package that promises to infuse federal funds into the country's infrastructure. While the details and timing of the economic stimulus bill are still being decided, there is little doubt that a significant amount of federal dollars will become available to the construction industry. The most likely recipients of the funds are those who have invested time and resources to ensure that all of their ducks are in a row. Submitted by Dan King.
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| OSHA Form 300-A Posting Requirement |
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1/23/2009 Link
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OSHA Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, must be posted by nonexempt employers in the workplace by February 1, 2009 for the year 2008. The summary must remain posted until April 30. Submitted by Bob Dimling.
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