Related Links: Text of one of the NRDC lawsuits Environmental groups have filed a pair of lawsuits in federal district courts to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take tougher action to curb pollutants in the nation’s waterways. The Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental organizations say their lawsuits, filed March 13, are necessary to reduce the size of large algae blooms, or “dead zones,” that stretch for miles in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other waterways across the nation.But the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) says a court ruling in the environmental groups'
A state court has ordered the New York State Dept. of Transportation to cancel an interchange upgrade project already under way and rebid the job because the agency violated competitive bidding laws by requiring compliance with a project labor agreement or PLA.A state Supreme Court judge in Albany ruled on March 2 that including the labor pact was illegal in this case and "tainted" the bidding process by its inclusion. A state DOT statement says the agency is reviewing its options.At issue is a $72.4-million contract to upgrade an Orange County interchange that was awarded to joint-venture firm A. Servidone/B.
Related Links: As Transport Bill Muddle Continues, State DOTs Cope With Funding Uncertainty Highway-Transit Bills' Progress Slows in House, Senate The long struggle to achieve a surface-transportation funding bill has reached an important milepost, as the Senate passed a two-year bill authorizing $109-billion for highway and transit programs. Approval came March 14 on a strong, bipartisan 74-22 vote, as 22 Republicans joined 52 Democrats to support the measure.The focus quickly shifted to the House, where Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has had trouble finding votes to pass a five-year, $260-billion transportation-energy package that has made it through committee.Senate Environment and Public
Suburban Maintenance Construction is suing the city of Cleveland after it rejected its $5.6-million bid to upgrade the home of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns.The firm, based in Cleveland, wants a court to void the contract, which went to the slightly higher $5.8-billion bid by Platform Cement of Mentor, and then award it to Suburban. Bryan Stucky, president of Cleveland-based Suburban, claims that none of the five bidders satisfied the city's goals for hiring firms owned by minorities or women. He says Platform Cement's paperwork showed that it had contacted just one minority-owned firm, which it planned to use
Courtesy of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority ONGOING Cleanup continues on Gulf Coast, including work at Elmers Island, La. (above). Energy giant BP's $7.8-billion settlement with individuals and businesses harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill resolves most lawsuits against the company by private citizens but still leaves open the federal government's and the five Gulf states' law-enforcement and natural-resource damage claims. The U.S. District Court in New Orleans will consider the federal and state claims in the near future. The outcome could bring more dollars for further Gulf Coast cleanup and restoration.On March 2, just before its trial
The push for a multiyear surface- transportation bill has suffered a setback on a Senate procedural vote on March 6. Backers of a two-year, $109-billion measure fell eight votes short of the 60 needed for cloture to cut off debate and move ahead on the bill.House Republicans at press time were determining how—or whether—to revise a five-year, $260-billion bill that had cleared committee. On March 1, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said there is GOP opposition to an 18-month bill. "Apparently, our members don't think too highly of it. I would only look at it as a fallback measure," he said.
Related Links: July 2011 report from NRC Near-Term Task Force on Japan The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is directing virtually every commercial U.S. nuclear powerplant to meet new safety requirements, which the commission says it is putting in place as a result of lessons learned from Japan's March 2011 Fukushima disaster.The NRC, in a March 9 announcement, said it has instructed its staff to issue three orders to operators of U.S. commercial nuclear reactors. The directives apply to all reactors currently operating or under construction, as well as to those planned and recently licensed at the Southern Nuclear Operating Co.'s Vogtle
Related Links: Highway-Transit Bills' Progress Slows in House, Senate Fight Brewing Over House GOPs Transit Funding Plan As top officials from state transportation agencies gathered in Washington, D.C., for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ annual winter legislative meeting, the major topic of discussion was the continued delay and cloudy outlook for a new federal highway-transit bill.Differing bills are stalled on the Senate and House floors, and party leaders are working on ways to get them moving. The Senate is debating a bipartisan $109-billion, two-year measure, and the House is taking up a GOP-drafted $260-billion, five-year bill.But
Related Links: Summary of administration's proposal President Proposes Plan to Cut Corporate Tax Rates Construction industry organizations are finding fault with the Obama administration’s proposal to overhaul the corporate tax system, saying it does nothing to help many small businesses, which are prevalent in the design and construction industry. The proposal, which administration officials released on Feb. 22, would trim the top corporate rate to 28% from 35% and make permanent tax credits for renewable energy and research. In a call with reporters, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said President Obama's plan would simplify the tax code and end dozens of
Photo courtesy ABC Romney won the endorsement of the Associated Builders and Contractors following his address to the group's board of directors last week in Phoenix. Photo courtesy ABC Anirban Basu, ABC's chief economist, gave an upbeat view of the improving economy during a presentation at BizCon in Phoenix. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney promised to undo much of the regulatory and labor initiatives of the Obama administration, he said during a speech Thursday to the Associated Builders and Contractors' board of directors in Phoenix. Later that day, the association of construction industry executives threw its hat behind Romney's candidacy
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