Related Links: White House summary of infrastructure finance initiative Obama July 17 memo to agency heads President Obama has launched a program that aims to find ways to tap more private-sector dollars to help finance a wide range of U.S. infrastructure projects, but the plan doesn’t include any new federal spending.The Build America Investment Initiative, which Obama kicked off in a July 17 memorandum to agency heads, consists of several modest, incremental actions, including what he called a new “one-stop shop” at the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to identify barriers to greater use of private transportation infrastructure investment and find
Photo Courtesy of VDOT Related Links: Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation analysis: Trust-fund impact of House bill, as approved by Ways and Means Committee Joint Committee on Taxation analysis of Senate Finance bill's impact on trust fund Legislation to add $10.8 billion to the ailing Highway Trust Fund, which could keep the fund in the black into next spring, is moving ahead in Congress as the House passed the measure on July 15 by a strong 367-55 vote.The House-approved trust-fund "patch" has the same bottom line as a measure that the Senate Finance Committee cleared on July 10. But the
New York State Court lawsuit exhibit An aerial view of the excavation for Barclays Center in New York City entered as an exhibit in Laquila's lawsuit against Hunt. A New York State judge has ruled that Laquila Construction Group, the excavation and foundation subcontractor for the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, can sue prime contractor Hunt Construction Group for additional payment even though Laquila signed releases when it accepted progress payments during the project.The arena open on time in September 2012.New York City-based Laquila filed a complaint against Hunt in state court in Brooklyn in May, 2013. Although Hunt paid
Source: National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans Related Links: Joint Labor-Management Committee's Framework The Partnership For Multiemployer Retirement Security A committee of industry and labor officials, including many in construction, is hopeful a new report from the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) will prompt Congress to shore up weakening multi-employer pension plans. But pension-reform advocates face a struggle. No bills have been introduced yet in the House or Senate. Reformers' best hope may lie in an expected lame-duck session.PBGC's fiscal year 2013 projections report, released on June 30, paints a grim picture for its multiemployer-plan program. Without changes, PBGC
Related Links: New Hollywood Map Shows Two Projects Atop Active Fault Millennium Hollywood On July 1, the California State Geological Survey started mapping the Santa Monica fault in Los Angeles, part of almost 2,000 miles of unmapped fault lines. The project could delineate new earthquake zones and restrict future developments in the state.CSGS was able to ramp up its mapping efforts weeks after Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed the state's $156.3-billion budget, which includes $1.49 million this year for fault zoning and $1.3 million in dedicated annual funding. State officials had been under increased pressure to provide fault-line data to
Related Links: Supreme Court Upholds Air Transport Rule; Impact Uncertain Background on EPA CSAPR The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to lift a stay on the cross-state air-pollution regulation and delay compliance deadlines by three years.The U.S. Supreme Court on April 29 upheld EPA's authority to issue the rule, which requires several states and the district to develop plans to curb air pollutants that travel downwind to other states. The rule is significant for engineering and construction firms that help states develop implemen- tation plans and utilities install
Related Links: Website on Gulf Coast Early Restoration Phase III Program June 26 Federal Register Notice Officials overseeing the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill have endorsed 44 coastal projects totaling $627 million. Almost half the funds would go toward rebuilding barrier islands and shorelines in Louisiana. The projects will be financed largely by a $1-billion fund that BP set up.Officials from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and federal agencies serving as public trustees in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process on June 26 approved the programmatic environmental impact statement for the
Related Links: Description of Wyden's revised trust-fund-fix proposal (6/26/2014) DOT Secretary Foxx's July 1 letter to state DOTs outlining new highway reimbursement plan As the Highway Trust Fund's looming shortfall sparks a U.S. Dept. of Transportation cash-conserving plan, construction and state transportation officials will have to wait a bit longer for the Senate Finance Committee to act on a short-term rescue for the diminishing fund.WYDENCommittee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) postponed until the week of July 7 a slated June 26 committee vote on his proposed $9-billion trust-fund infusion. But indications are that the extra time will help build a bipartisan
Related Links: Text of Supreme Court NLRB v. Noel Canning decision (majority and concurring opinions) High Court Rules Against Obama on NLRB Recess Appointments Nation's High Court Hears Recess Appointment Case (enr.com 1/14/2014) [subscription] The National Labor Relations Board will be poring over more than 400 decisions, from 2012 and 2013, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous June 26 ruling that President Obama exceeded his authority in naming three members to the board during a three-day break between Senate sessions.But the court's unanimity about that judgment veils a split. Five justices signed on to the majority opinion.
Related Links: Copy Of Class-Action Lawsuit Elk River Chemical Spill Triggers Lawsuits, Investigations A uniquely designed airport built in 1947 in Charleston, W.Va., has been swept up in the flurry of litigation surrounding a January incident that spilled 10,000 gallons of chemicals into the Elk River, contaminating the water supply of over 300,000 residents in nine counties. The federal class-action lawsuit, filed on June 20 in Southern West Virginia District Court, claims Triad Engineering and excavation contractor Cast & Baker were environmentally negligent on a Yeager Airport runway extension project, finished in 2011.The 10 residents and four businesses listed in