The number of reported cases of tainted drywall from China continues to expand. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that, since July, defective Chinese drywall has been identified in two additional states, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, and that an additional 202 reports have been filed, bringing the total number of reported cases to 810. In a status update sent to Congress on Aug. 11, CPSC said a total of 23 states and the District of Columbia have reported cases of tainted drywall, although the majority of reports continue to come from Florida, Louisiana and Virginia. CPSC says it has received
Despite recent administration efforts to play down the impact of the “Buy America” provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), industry and business groups remain concerned that the provisions could cause delays on construction projects or be expanded to other programs. Photo: AP/Wideworld At a recent summit of North American leaders, President Obama played down ARRA’s Buy America provisions. “The perception and the fear is that more Buy America-type requirements could be passed, and that creates a level of fear with Canada and our other trading partners,” says Chris Braddock, senior director of procurement policy with the U.S.
The Senate on Aug. 7 confirmed longtime Senate staffer Jo-Ellen Darcy as assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. In that post, she will oversee the Corps of Engineers’ non-military programs. Darcy was nominated on April 2 and was through committee in June, but floor action was delayed. An industry source says there was concern in Alabama’s congressional delegation about a multistate dispute over water rights from Georgia’s Lake Lanier. The Corps operates Buford Dam, which forms the lake. After meeting with Darcy on July 13, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said she committed to “an honest and fair adjudication
A projected August Highway Trust Fund shortfall has been averted, at least for now. President Obama signed a bill on Aug. 7 adding $7 billion to the trust fund�s ailing highway account. The new money, transferred from the general fund, is expected to keep the account solvent through Sept. 30 or maybe a bit longer. When Congress returns after Labor Day, debate is likely to heat up over reauthorizing highway and transit programs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has re-opened the door for developing a standard for perchlorate in drinking water. Perchlorate is a naturally occurring substance and also a man-made chemical used as an oxidizer in rocket fuel and fireworks. In October 2008, EPA published a preliminary determination not to regulate the substance. But the agency said on Aug. 5 it wanted to reassess perchlorate’s impact on public health. In large doses, it can affect the thyroid gland. Alan Roberson, the American Water Works Association’s director of security and regulatory affairs, says a drinking-water standard for perchlorate probably would require utilities to
The U.S. Army has named a new commander for the Corps of Engineers’ Gulf Region Division, headquartered in Baghdad. Brig. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, who heads the Corps’ Southwestern Division, will succeed Maj. Gen. Michael R. Eyre, who has led the Gulf Division since October 2008. Moving to the Dallas-based Southwestern Division is Brig. Gen. John R. McMahon, director, J-7, Engineering for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on July 30 approved a measure that would create a new $700-million school-renovation program. The provision, sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), is part of a $730-billion fiscal 2010 spending bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education departments. The measure would direct the Education Dept. to distribute grants to states to build or renovate public elementary and secondary schools. Priority would go to projects in areas that have high percentages of disadvantaged children or that plan to use green construction practices. The Labor-HHS-Education bill that the House passed on July 24 does not
The Dept. of Energy has asked USEC Inc. to withdraw its application for a loan guarantee to build an advanced-technology uranium- enrichment plant at the site of a former enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio. However, DOE will give USEC the chance to reapply at a later date. The agency says it plans to defer review of the application until a series of specific technology and financial milestones have been met. USEC says it is committed to developing the plant. DOE also says it will spend an additional $150 million to $200 million to accelerate cleanup at the former uranium-enrichment plant
The U.S. potentially could reduce non-transportation energy consumption by 23% by 2020 and greenhouse gases by 1.1 gigatons annually, but this goal is achievable only if significant barriers are addressed and overcome, says a new report from McKinsey & Co. These barriers include $520 billion in needed up-front investment and a fragmented network of buildings, devices, building codes and other requirements. The potential for reducing energy consumption in the U.S. is huge, but coordinated national and regional strategies are needed to unlock the existing potential, says the New York City-based management consulting firm in its July 29 report. “Energy efficiency
As the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approaches its sixth month on the books, the General Services Administration’s $5.5-billion ARRA-funded program to build or upgrade scores of federal buildings suddenly has begun to take off. But critics continue to complain that other agencies are not turning their construction stimulus money into jobs-producing contracts fast enough. Photo: Grunley Construction Co. Commerce Dept. job tops list. After taking about six weeks just to produce its list of stimulus projects, GSA has shifted into overdrive. It has awarded contracts totaling nearly $1.1 billion for projects involving about 120 buildings. Twenty of those projects