With the Obama Administration’s decision to defund the Yucca Mountain nuclear- waste repository, many industry observers wonder what the next step for permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel will be. Many are keeping a watchful eye on the president’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which Obama established in January 2010 to develop recommendations to guide future policies for nuclear waste. The 15-member commission or its subcommittees have met several times this year, and the full commission plans to meet on Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C. The group is expected to release a preliminary report in spring 2011. “It’s
Republicans’ newly won majority in the House will result in new committee leaders in the chamber. Construction industry officials say that under those new chairmen, House panels will be focused on curbing spending and holding oversight hearings on the Obama administration’s implementation of federal laws and programs like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Although the Republican Steering Committee has not yet announced its roster of committee chairman, several current ranking members are expected to take the helm of their panels. For example, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), is expected to assume the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee. Lewis previously chaired
More environmental cleanup work may be on the horizon for remediation contractors as a result of a $773-million settlement that will set up a trust fund—the largest of its kind—to clean up and repurpose numerous former General Motor sites across the country. The settlement, filed on Oct. 20 in the Manhattan court overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings, is between the liquidation company that now owns the assets of the old General Motors Corp. (Old GM) and the United States, 14 states and a tribal government. Under the agreement, Old GM will commit $773 million for the cleanup in 14 states of
More environmental cleanup work may be on the horizon for remediation contractors as a result of a $773-million settlement that will set up a trust fund—the largest of its kind—to clean up and repurpose numerous former General Motor sites across the country. The settlement, filed Oct. 20 in the Manhattan court overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings, is between the United States, along with 14 states and a tribal government, and the liquidation company that now owns the assets of the old General Motors Corp. (Old GM). Under the agreement, Old GM will commit $773 million for the cleanup of 89 property
With the control of the House and possibly the Senate at stake, construction unions and industry groups say their members are highly engaged in the 2010 mid-term congressional elections and are on track to equal, if not exceed, their political contributions for 2006, the last mid-term election year. Photo: Wilfredo Lee/AP Florida Senator Charlie Crist is getting more construction dollars than any other candidate. Contributions from construction industry associations and companies reached $40.7 million as of Sept. 13, according to their filings with the Federal Election Commission, says the Center for Responsive Politics. Construction donors gave a little more than
The Obama Administration has filed a lawsuit against 10 companies and two municipalities to ensure the continued cleanup of Wisconsin’s Lower Fox River and Green Bay Superfund site. The lawsuit, filed jointly by the U.S. government and the state of Wisconsin on Oct. 14, also seeks payment of associated government costs and for damages to natural resources. Total cleanup costs and damages could exceed $1 billion. Work has been ongoing at the site, which was contaminated with approximately 250,000 lbs of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that were released by manufacturers of “carbonless” copy paper from the late 1950s to the early
The Obama administration has filed a lawsuit against 10 companies and two municipalities to ensure the continued cleanup of Wisconsin’s Lower Fox River and Green Bay Superfund site. The lawsuit, filed jointly by the U.S. government and the state of Wisconsin on Oct. 14, also seeks payment of associated government costs and natural resources damages. All told, the total cleanup costs and damages are expected to exceed $1 billion. Related Links: Veteran Waste-Cleanup Expert Applies Just-In-Time Methods to World’s Largest PCB Project to Date Work continues at the Lower Fox River/Green Bay Site,, which was contaminated with approximately 250,000 lbs
Construction contractors are in a quandary as a result of a recent action by a federal appellate court. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to grant an Environmental Protection Agency request to vacate the numeric limit in effluent limitation guidelines (ELG) for construction stormwater, which took effect in December 2009. In August, EPA asked the court to vacate the numeric limit and remand parts of the regulation back to the agency so it could develop a new limit. In its brief, EPA said the data it had used to arrive at a limit of 280 nephelometric turbidity
The House has approved the “Cash for Caulkers” bill, which seeks to stimulate construction and manufacturing jobs and boost energy efficiency in homes. The two-year, $5.6-billion Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, which the House passed on May 6, would provide up to $3,000 in rebates to homeowners who install insulation or energy-efficient windows, doors and other products. The Senate has not acted yet on the measure. The bill’s supporters include the National Association of Home Builders, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, labor unions and environmental groups. But 154 Republicans voted against the legislation. The Associated Builders and Contractors also opposes
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has proposed changes to its requirements for disadvantaged-business enterprises (DBEs), which include firms owned by women and minorities. DOT’s longstanding goal is to have at least 10% of highway and other construction funds go to DBEs. DOT says its plan, published in the Federal Register on May 10, would make it easier for a firm to be certified a DBE in more than one state. The proposal aims to make state agencies more accountable by requiring those that do not meet DBE targets to examine why that happened and come up with ways to achieve
