Related Links: Supreme Court Jan. 8 ruling in L.A. Flood Control District v. Natural Resources Defense Council ENR article: Nation's High Court Tackles Three Water Cases Construction industry officials say they are pleased with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Jan. 8 ruling in the first of two water-related cases argued before the court in December. The court unanimously ruled in Los Angeles County Flood Control District v. Natural Resources Defense Council and L.A. Waterkeeper that the flood-control district did not violate its State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit when it simply transferred already polluted water from one portion of its
U.S. Dept. of Labor Labor Secretary Hilda Solis Related Links: Dept. of Labor's Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda, released Dec. 21 Copy of Letter to DOL employees from Solis announcing her resignation Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced on Jan. 9 that she would step down from the top post at the Labor Dept., although she did not specify when she would leave. Solis is known for her tough enforcement approach. In a Jan. 9 letter to DOL employees, Solis said the agency’s enforcement and informal resolution programs “resulted in the recovery of almost $5 billion for retirees and their families.” Moreover, in
Photo By AP Wideworld Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) blasted House leadership for deferring initial Jan. 1 vote. Related Links: House Ends Session without Considering Sandy Bill From ENR New York 1/3/13: Tri-State Lawmakers, Industry Blast 112th Congress Over Inaction on Sandy Relief When Congress approved $9.7 billion for flood insurance claims from Superstorm Sandy victims on Jan. 4, government and construction-industry officials from areas hardest hit by the powerful late-October hurricane viewed the vote as a positive move. But they also insisted that those funds need to be supplemented—and soon—by an additional $50 billion to rebuild damaged infrastructure and construct
Related Links: What the Interim 'Fiscal Cliff Deal' Means for Construction White House summary of fiscal cliff agreement An at-the-wire deal that held the government at the brink of the "fiscal cliff" will hike taxes for some small construction firms and give companies a short reprieve from mandatory spending cuts slated to hit most federal construction accounts on Jan. 2. All in all, the tax increases would have been much steeper and more widespread and the budget cuts immediate if there had been no deal.But the product of the agreement, the American Taxpayers Relief Act, which Congress approved Jan. 1
Related Links: U.S. Dept. of Justice press release Text of Caddell statement Text of Justice Dept. agreement In an agreement with the Justice Dept., Caddell Construction Co. has paid a $2-million penalty to settle criminal fraud charges that the company intentionally made false statements to the Dept. of Defense concerning a small firm with which Caddell worked on three military construction projects.Under the agreement, announced on Dec. 27, Justice will not prosecute Montgomery, Ala.-based Caddell for its allegedly improper pay requests to DOD that included the false information. Justice noted Caddell’s “substantial cooperation,” voluntary disclosures and improvements in its reporting
Related Links: White House summary of bill's provisions ENR 12/3/12: Construction Industry Worries About Fiscal Cliff Link to text of bill as approved by House, Senate After a long legislative push on New Year's Day, Congress has cleared a measure to avert most of the tax hikes and temporarily hold off the mandatory spending cuts of the "fiscal cliff." President Obama signed the bill into law on Jan. 2.The package is largely a collection of extensions of tax provisions, and some tax hikes, affecting individuals and businesses, from large corporations to small, family-owned firms, including many in construction. It also
Related Links: Summary of House Appropriations Committee Sandy legislation Bill Summary and Status House Republican leaders announced on Jan. 1 that the chamber would not vote on a supplemental spending bill to fund Hurricane Sandy-related repairs as well as assistance to victims of the storm.The announcement came on the final day of the 112th Congress, effectively killing the bill for now and infuriating the governors and congressional delegations from New Jersey and New York, the states hardest hit by the ferocious late October storm.But House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) met with New York and New Jersey lawmakers on Jan. 2
Related Links: Nuke Waste Disposal Solution Still Elusive Biomass Seeks Roots Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who will be the new chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, is formulating his agenda, but a central theme will be to help the U.S. move toward a low-carbon economy, a spokesman says.Keith Chu, a Wyden aide, says the incoming chairman "believes that investment in natural gas and in next-generation nuclear technologies should be part of that low-carbon energy portfolio." WYDENWyden thinks some types of renewable energy, such as hydropower, geothermal and biomass, have "gotten short shrift" and that more
Related Links: EPA Issues tougher Soot and Fine Particle Standard EPA Page on Cross-State Air Pollution Rule EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced on Dec. 27 that she will step down from the agency’s top post after President Obama’s state of the union speech in January.Under Jackson’s leadership, EPA established fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks and implemented several air-related regulations to reduce emissions of soot, mercury, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants, including carbon dioxide. JACKSONAlthough environmental groups praised Jackson for her leadership, Republicans in Congress and industry often criticized the EPA as being too heavy-handed in its approach.
Related Links: Independent review board report Secretary Clinton's letter to Foreign Relations Chairman Kerry A highly critical report reviewing the September terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, has recommended increased funding for embassy security improvements, including new facilities in high-risk areas.Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who requested the independent review panel report, already has asked Congress for authority to transfer $736 million to embassy upgrades and new construction from another State Dept. account.In transmitting the Accountability Review Board review to Capitol Hill on Dec. 18, Clinton said she agreed with the report's 29 recommendations and has
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