A criminal jury trial in Denver began on May 31 against Xcel Energy Inc., Minneapolis, and its local subsidiary Public Service Co. of Colorado, over a combined 10 federal safety violations that led to five worker deaths on Oct. 2, 2007. Five painters, ranging in age from 19 to 52, died when they were overcome by carbon monoxide when a fire erupted while they were spraying an epoxy coating sealant inside a 12-ft-dia., 4,000-ft-long water drainage pipe, or penstock, at an Xcel facility. The accident occurred at the 44-year-old, 1.2-MW Cabin Creek hydroelectric plant, located 35 miles west of Denver.
In the latest development in a U.S.-China trade dispute, China has agreed to close down a fund that the U.S. says violated World Trade Organization rules by subsidizing Chinese wind-energy equipment makers.U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on June 7 that China had shut its Special Fund for Wind Power Equipment Manufacturing, which Kirk's office said provided grants to Chinese wind-turbine companies that used componehts made in China instead of imported parts.According to USTR, the grants from the fund ranged from $6.7 million to $22.5 million and may have totaled several hundred million dollars since 2008.Kirk said, "Subsidies requiring
State budgets are bouncing back from the recession, but many governors and legislatures are keeping a tight rein on spending for the coming fiscal year, and some are calling for cuts in programs such as transportation. The latest Fiscal Survey of States, which the National Governors Association (NGA) and National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released on June 2, shows that 14 states are recommending a total of $212.8 million in general-fund cuts in transportation programs for fiscal year 2012. Most states' fiscal years begin on July 1.In addition, six states implemented mid-year fiscal 2011 transportation reductions, totaling $357.2.
The National Labor Relations Board has upheld unions’ right to display large, inflatable rats at workplaces of secondary employers, including companies that hire nonunion firms to build or retrofit buildings. In a May 26 decision, NLRB’s three Democrats—Chairman Wilma Liebman and members Craig Becker and Mark Pearce—said the use of rats at such workplaces is not coercive. They said unions protesting at a hospital did not shout, block access or otherwise disrupt hospital operations. The board’s only Republican, Brian Hayes, dissented. He said, “For pedestrians or occupants of cars passing in the shadow of the rat balloon, which proclaims the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) has outlined a proposal that essentially would transfer the responsibility to develop high-speed rail (HSR) on the Northeast Corridor from Amtrak to the private sector. Amtrak wants to keep control over the route and last September proposed its own $117-billion, 30-year HSR plan. Map Courtesy Of Amtrak Mica says his proposal, which he unveiled at a May 26 hearing, would let public-private partnerships design, build, operate, maintain and finance high-speed passenger service along the corridor from Washington, D.C., to Boston. He says his plan would be finished in 10 years—much faster
Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, President Obama’s choice to be the next chief of the Army Corps of Engineers, got a generally positive reception from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) at a May 25 hearing. Bostick next must appear before the Armed Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over his nomination. A floor vote would follow. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) expressed concern about Bostick’s lack of civil works experience. Bostick said that in 1993 he was executive officer to then-Corps chief Lt. Gen. Arthur Williams during severe Midwest floods. In 2007, Vitter and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) held up
With talks stalled on a multiyear Federal Aviation Administration bill, the Senate and House have approved another stopgap authorization. After the bill cleared Congress, President Obama signed it on May 31. The new bill extends Airport Improvement Program construction grants and other FAA programs through June 30. It is the 19th FAA stopgap since September 2007, when the last long-term aviation bill expired.
A ready-mix concrete company in Iowa has pleaded guilty to anti-trust charges. According to the May 18 complaint, GCC Alliance Concrete Inc., Orange City, Iowa, conspired with other competitors to fix prices and rig bids between January 2008 and August 2009. Sentencing is pending. The plea bargain comes after GCC’s former sales manager Steven VandeBrake was sentenced in February to serve 48 months in prison and a criminal fine of $829,715.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) on May 26 outlined a high-speed rail (HSR) proposal that would offer an alternative to the $117-billion, 30-year version unveiled by Amtrak last September. Although both plans offer opportunities for private investment, Mica’s proposal goes much farther—essentially transferring from Amtrak to the private sector the responsibility to develop HSR along portions of the congested Northeast Corridor.Mica only presented an outline with few details. But he said his proposal, which he plans to incorporate into legislation within the next few weeks, would allow for public-private partnerships to design, build, operate, maintain and
A bipartisan group of four key senators has reached agreement on the outline of a six-year, $339.2-billion surface transportation measure. The deal was announced on May 25 by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), along with the committee's ranking Republican, James Inhofe (Okla.), transportation and infrastructure subcommittee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and the subcommittee's ranking Republican, David Vitter (D-La.). The accord signifies progress on legislation long-awaited by the construction industry. But there is still a long way to go.And a critical element is missing: Funding a bill at the $339-billion level would require an infusion of
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