The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking tighter standards for airborne emissions of mercury from new and existing sewage-sludge incineration units. Such units often are located at wastewater-treatment facilities. The proposal, announced on Sept. 30, would cut mercury emissions by 75%, EPA says. The agency plan would require many wastewater-treatment facilities to install controls such as high-efficiency scrubbers and fabric filters. The proposal would not apply to incinerators at commercial, industrial and institutional facilities. The proposed rule would take effect in 2015. EPA estimates complying with the requirements would cost $105 million per year for all currently operating units. The agency
Federal agencies will keep operating through Dec. 3 under a short-term spending bill President Obama signed on Sept. 30. The continuing resolution funds programs for about the first two months of fiscal 2011, generally at 2010 levels. One exception is the current Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round, a big multiyear construction program that’s nearing its end. The continuing resolution funds BRAC at the annual rate of $2.35 billion, the amount the White House requested for 2011 but a 68% cut from 2010. The stopgap’s Dec. 3 expiration gives Congress little time to pass regular 2011 spending bills when
Federal agency procurement officers are breathing a bit easier after a mad dash to obligate their remaining American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars by Sept. 30, the deadline for committing many stimulus-act construction dollars. Agencies have seen bids on ARRA-funded projects come in well below initial estimates, opening opportunities to redirect those savings to thousands of additional projects. A White House report, released on Oct. 1, says eight agencies were able to fund more than 3,000 additional projects beyond their original projections. Those agencies include the Depts. of Defense, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency and the
In another hot competition for federal funds, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation has awarded more than 50 grants totaling over $400 million to build or upgrade bus facilities, including maintenance shops and terminals. The facilities awards are among $776 million in grants which DOT announced on Oct. 4 that are aimed at cutting into the backlog of bus transit capital needs around the country. Besides the funding for facilities, DOT also awarded dozens of grants to transit agencies to purchase new buses. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood noted that his department estimated earlier this year that $78 billion is needed to
The desire for federal 'TIGER' grants shows no signs of fading in transportation circles. Photo: U.S. Dept. of Transportation LaHood's DOT is sorting through almost 1,000 applications The U.S. Dept. of Transportation reported on Sept. 24 that the second round of its Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants had drawn more than $19 billion in applications for the $600 million it has available to award. A DOT spokesperson says that the department hasn't set an award date yet for the 'TIGER II' round. In all, DOT said it received almost 1,000 applications for the TIGER II competition, from every state,
Senate banking committee members have elicited more information about the Obama Administration’s sketchy Sept. 6 proposal for a new federal infrastructure bank. Testifying at a Sept. 21 committee hearing, Roy Kienitz, under secretary of transportation for policy, conceded the bank proposal was “vague, and deliberately so.” He told reporters that officials hope to release details early in 2011, with the next budget proposal, but added, “Plans could change.” He testified that, although the bank initially would focus on transportation, “It certainly could go more broadly than that.” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said he feared the bank would be another Fannie
A new survey finds that nearly 80% of the states say they will be ready to implement the Environmental Protection Agency’s new clean-air “tailoring” regulation by the Jan. 2 deadline or within a few months after that. EPA’s final regulation, published on June 3, focuses states’ greenhouse-gas (GHG) permitting on the largest “stationary” sources of such emissions, such as powerplants and industrial facilities. The study, released on Sept. 15 by the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, analyzed letters that states sent to EPA this summer describing progress toward meeting the permitting deadline. Bill Becker, NACAA’s executive director, says states
Construction should see some benefits from a small-business aid package that appears to be on its way to enactment soon. The bill has $12 billion in tax breaks and would create a $30-billion federal fund to increase bank lending to small companies, including developers and contractors. But industry officials say the bill by itself will not pull construction out of its slump. The bill cleared a big hurdle on Sept. 16, when the Senate passed it. The House was slated to take up the measure about a week later. If the House approves the bill, President Obama is expected to
The Senate has approved a package of provisions aimed at helping small businesses, including $12 billion in tax breaks and a $30-billion federal fund to stimulate banks to provide more loans to small firms. The measure next goes to the House, which is expected to approve it. The bill also has the support of President Obama. The measure was approved Sept. 16 on a 61-38 vote, as Republicans George LeMieux (Fla.) and George Voinovich (Ohio) joined Democrats in voting for the bill. Key provisions in the bill include a $30-billion Small Business Lending Fund, through which the Treasury will buy
As Congress begins a short pre-election session, its must-pass list includes construction measures with Sept. 30 deadlines: appropriations for fiscal year 2011, which starts on Oct. 1, and a Federal Aviation Administration authorization that covers airport grants. A bill aimed at aiding small businesses also is advancing. With only a few weeks left before a congressional recess, action on other bills probably will be deferred until an expected lame-duck session. In that post-election session, Congress would face decisions on extending income-tax breaks, Build America bonds and surface-transportation program—all of which expire on Dec. 31. Other measures, including an energy bill,
