Obama administration officials say the home weatherization program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is making gains. Vice-President Joe Biden went to Manchester, N.H., on Aug. 26 to announce the 200,000th home to get energy-efficiency upgrades under the program. "We've hit the accelerator on the weatherization program," Biden said in a statement. He added that the goal is to weatherize 600,000 homes using the economic-stimulus act funding. Biden said more than 80,000 homes are undergoing energy-efficiency improvements this summer, compared with 3,000 in summer 2009. According to the Dept. of Energy, as of Aug. 20 it had awarded
The Federal Railroad Administration is aiming to pick up the pace in dispersing to states more of its initial $8-billion round of high-speed-rail funds. At the same time, FRA plans to move quickly to select winners of another $2.3-billion batch of rail money. FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo told reporters on Aug. 20 that, for round one, his agency so far has obligated about $585 million for 13 projects. He says the grant agreements “are very near completion” for seven additional projects totaling $209 million. Another seven projects, valued at $120 million, are waiting in the wings. All that still leave
The Dept. of Energy has chosen Pennsylvania State University to head a new research center to find ways to design buildings to be more energy-efficient. DOE said on Aug. 24 the new Energy-Efficient Building Systems Design Hub, to be based in Philadelphia, will combine federal, private-sector and university researchers. It will get up to $22 million in federal funds this year. DOE will ask Congress for an additional $25 million in each of the succeeding four years.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has asked U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to open “consultations” with Canada over lumber pricing. In an Aug. 18 letter to Kirk, Baucus contends the British Columbia government is selling timber it owns for softwood lumber production “at fire-sale stumpage prices.” He claims such sales “circumvent the intent” of the 2006 U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement. A B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range spokesman says the province has been honoring the 2006 agreement, saying, “There is no basis for U.S. trade action against British Columbia.” He adds: “Rather than launching formal trade action, the
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. says if current regulations for its multi-employer-plan program do not change, there is “about a 65% chance” the program’s deficit will climb in 10 years. In a “data book” released on Aug. 20, PBGC says a simulation model’s average result shows its multi-employer program will post an estimated deficit of $4 billion in 10 years, a 360% jump over its $869-million shortfall in fiscal 2009. PBGC cautions that the model is not “predictive.” Multi-employer plans are common in construction’s unionized sector, PBGC says, and account for 54% of the 1,517 multi-employer plans it insures. Such
Construction workplace deaths continued to decline in 2009, but the fatality rate held even with the previous year’s mark, and industry safety specialists see little sign that conditions are improving on project sites nationwide. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest annual census of fatal occupational injuries, released on Aug. 19, shows construction deaths last year totaled 816, down 16% from 975 in 2008. But with the volume of construction work in a slump, the industry’s fatality rate last year was the same as 2008’s level, at 9.7 per 100,000 full-time workers. BLS reported that construction hours worked fell 17% in
The number of construction deaths declined 16% in 2009, but with the volume of construction work down, the industry's fatality rate remained flat, the Dept. of Labor has reported. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest annual census of fatal occupational injuries, released Aug. 19, reports that construction deaths totaled 816 last year, down from 975 in 2008. But the 2009 fatality rate, which takes account of shifts in industry activity, showed no improvement, holding even with 2008, at 9.7 per 100,000 full-time workers. BLS says, "Economic conditions may explain much of this decline" in the number of construction jobsite fatalities,
Twenty-five states have filed 77 applications totaling more than $8.5 billion for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's next round of high-speed-rail grants. Many applicants will be disappointed: DOT only has about $2.3 billion to distribute. The department expects to announce the winners of the new round of grants "in early fall," says Rob Kulat, a spokesman with DOT's Federal Railroad Administration. FRA did not have a list of applicants available. Based on reports from some, but not all, states, among the largest requests are from California, which is seeking $1.58 billion, and Florida, which is applying for $1.1 billion. Another
Twenty-five states have filed 77 applications totaling more than $8.5 billion for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's next round of high-speed-rail grants. Many applicants will be disappointed: DOT only has about $2.3 billion to distribute. The department expects to announce the winners of the new round of grants "in early fall," says Rob Kulat, a spokesman with DOT's Federal Railroad Administration. Odds of winning are long, but not as daunting as in FRA's initial high-speed-rail grant competition, when the agency was inundated with $57 billion in applications for $8 billion in grants. DOT officials announced the winners of that first
The construction industry is gearing up to carry out one of the most important federal safety actions in years: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s overhaul of its 39-year-old standard governing cranes and derricks. Photo Courtesy of AP Images A major provision is a new certification requirement for crane operators. OSHA, which is part of the Dept. of Labor, says its final crane-safety regulation, released July 28 and to be published in the Federal Register on Aug. 9, will affect about 267,000 certification organizations and construction and crane-rental companies that altogether employ 4.8 million workers. The first key date is