Northwest Roundup: News items include a drop in female construction employment in Alaska, Portland public transportation improvements, Construction Safety Week and more.
At an April 27 hearing, GOP lawmakers blasted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for limiting the scope of the Pebble Mine project in Bristol Bay, Alaska, before the project’s developer had formally submitted plans and applied for a permit.
Washington and Oregon joined 42 other states and Washington, D.C. in posting over the year construction employment growth in March, while Alaska continues to lag behind.
Seasonally-adjusted employment figures were kind to both Washington and Oregon, but construction employment continues to falter in Alaska and overall unemployment remains high.
According to the city of Spokane, Wash., the $125 million upgrade to the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility will create the most effective phosphate removal process of its kind in the U.S.
Notable news items include the President budgeting $600 million for projects in Washington and Oregon, progress on Amazon’s new Seattle campus, Alaska’s construction spending outlook, and more.