In a much-anticipated and, in some quarters, dreaded move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 30 announced it might use the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. The same day, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced their version of a global-warming bill. Photo: American Electric Power Largest emitters of carbon dioxide, like powerplants, would be targeted. Related Links: Editorial: The Industry Should Get Behind Reasonable Greenhouse-Gas Bills Industry sources say they greatly prefer legislation to address global warming rather than a regulation, and the Clean Air Act
President Obama signed legislation on Oct. 1 that provides a one-month extension for the federal highway and transit programs as well as the appropriations for nearly all federal agencies. Obama also signed a separate bill that extends Federal Aviation Administration programs, including airport construction grants, for three months. The larger of the two measures is a continuing resolution (CR), which contains funds to keep federal agencies operating through Oct. 31, as well as a one-month extension of the current surface-transportation authorization statute, the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act; a Legacy for Users. The CR was needed because
Despite a pickup in federal stimulus projects, construction's unemployment rate grew worse in September, rising to 17.1%, from 16.5% in August, as the industry lost another 64,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Construction's September jobless rate also was well above the year-earlier mark of 9.9%. Construction's rate remains the highest among U.S. industries. In its latest monthly report, issued Oct. 2, BLS noted that construction has shed a total of 1.5 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. Of September's 64,000 construction jobs lost, 39,000 were in the non-residential sector and 12,000 in heavy construction, BLS
Unable to finish some major bills before Sept. 30 deadlines, Congress is turning to stopgap measures to keep important federal construction programs running until lawmakers can strike deals on more permanent legislation or approve still further extensions. The programs include highway, transit and airports. Much of the construction industry’s focus is on highways and transit, whose authorization, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users, is one of the bills lapsing on Sept. 30. The House passed a three-month extension on Sept. 23. In the Senate, Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and the
Jonathan B. Jarvis, who has spent 33 years at the National Park Service, has been approved as the new NPS director. Jarvis, whom the Senate confirmed on Sept. 24, has led the NPS Pacific West region for the last seven years. The park service’s 2009 construction appropriations were $233 million, excluding emergency funding. NPS also has $750 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for repairs and upgrades.
Comments on a proposed rule that would encourage use of project labor agreements on large federal construction projects included passionate pleas from unions in favor of the proposal and from open-shop interests against it. The proposal would implement a Feb. 6 executive order. The laborers’ union says PLAs help deliver projects on time and on budget and guarantee uninterrupted access to skilled labor. Strong opposition came from 906 comments filed by Associated Builders and Contractors and its member companies. ABC has released a study claiming no labor disruptions or major delays occurred on non-PLA federal projects begun in the Bush
Demand far exceeds supply for the Dept. of Transportation’ $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grants. DOT reported on Sept. 25 that its preliminary tally shows it received 1,381 applications for the grants from all 50 states and other jurisdictions. Those requests seek a stunning total of $56.9 billion. The grant program, established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is aimed at big-impact projects. DOT says 771 of the TIGER applications are for highway projects, requesting a total of $32.2 billion. Transit ranks second, with 220 applications totaling $10.7 billion. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood has
States are committing more American Recovery and Reinvestment Act highway funds to specific projects, and pavement improvements continue to get the largest share of those dollars. But the mix of ARRA-funded highway work is shifting a little, to more complex projects, the Government Accountability Office reports. Total federal ARRA highway outlays—reimbursements to states—also still lag well below obligations. GAO’s latest ARRA update, released on Sept. 23, shows states had obligated nearly $18 billion of $26.7 billion in ARRA highway aid by Sept. 1. That is a 7% gain from $16.8 billion obligated by July 17. The top ARRA highway category
With the 2009 federal fiscal year set to end Sept. 30, House and Senate negotiators have agreed on a government-wide stopgap measure that would provide enough money to keep federal agencies operating for one additional month. Lawmakers hope that the "continuing resolution," which runs through Oct. 31, will provide time for congressional appropriators to reach agreement on the spending bills for the full fiscal 2010. Attached to the "CR," on which House and Senate conferees reached agreement Sept. 24, are parallel one-month funding and operating authority extensions for surface transportation and Federal Aviation Administration programs. Current highway-transit and aviation authorization
A White House meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Obama on Sept. 16 did not produce an agreement to resolve Canada’s concerns over the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s “Buy American” provisions. But Obama said the two sides are trying to find ways to ease the problem. Canada has made a proposal that it hopes will lead to a deal, and the U.S. is evaluating it. Canada contends that its manufacturers have been harmed by ARRA’s restrictions on non-U.S-made steel and manufactured products in projects financed by the stimulus package. A particular focus is projects administered by
