Photo by AP Wideworld New land ports of entry, such as Mariposa Station in Arizona, are a GSA priority. Related Links: Information on GSA Land Ports of Entry Program GSA Congressional Testimony on Fiscal 2015 Budget Request As the General Services Administration waits to see how much construction funding congressional appropriators will provide for FY2015, the reality of a more austere overall budget environment is reshaping the way GSA works with the architecture-engineering-construction industry, says Michael Gelber, deputy commissioner of GSA's Public Buildings Service.Gelber told a joint Design-Build Institute of America-Society of American Military Engineers symposium in Washington, D.C., on
Related Links: Further Information on Standard 189.1 The International Code Council's Green Model Code Five building industry groups have agreed to collaborate on the development of green building codes, standards and rating systems.Officials say the proliferation of different green building tools has caused unnecessary fragmentation and some confusion in the industry. To address that problem, the groups have agreed to consolidate some of the myriad tools into one document.The organizations that signed the agreement are ASHRAE, the International Code Council (ICC), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the U.S. Green Building
Photo courtesy of Kelly Huston, Office of the Governor, California State lawmakers circle around California Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who signed water infrastructure legislation that state voters will consider on the November ballot. Related Links: Information on AB 1471 Natural Resources Defense Council report on water supply solutions to drought in California Construction and engineering groups are upbeat about a $7.5-billion water bond measure on the California ballot in November.“We see nothing but good coming from the water bond, driven in large part by the years of neglect of our water system” in California, says Tom Holsman, CEO of the
Related Links: Information on Power Africa initiative White House fact sheet on new additional commitments and goals Africa’s electric-power infrastructure is set to receive an enormous boost over the next four years, thanks to new government and public-sector commitments of nearly $14 billion announced at a recent summit of African and U.S. officials in Washington, D.C.The summit, held Aug. 4-6, drew some 50 African heads of state, ministers and business executives, who met with President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, congressional leaders and other officials to discuss partnerships with government and nongovernmental organizations.A key development was Obama's Aug. 5
Photo courtesy of Colorado Mining Association Opponents of the proposal protested at the Denver EPA hearings on July 29-30. Related Links: EPA Proposes Emissions Rule for Existing Powerplants EPA page on Clean Power Plan The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to reduce carbon emissions from existing powerplants continues to generate controversy as states grapple with tight deadlines to develop plans to meet aggressive targets that begin in 2020.But environmental groups and congressional supporters say the plan, released in June, could be strengthened to adequately address the challenge of climate change."When you look at the science of global warming, we need
Image: Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Scientists in Louisiana say the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico is three times the target set by a federal-state task force in 2001. Related Links: Ohio statewide harmful algae bloom response strategy Information on NRDC lawsuit The recent drinking-water crisis brought on by algae blooms has put Toledo's water-quality troubles on the national stage. The issue is common: Runoff from urban and agricultural areas and wastewater treatment plants create hypoxia, or algae blooms, that choke oxygen for fish and other aquatic life and trap toxins, which can poison the water."Currently, we are seeing
Related Links: Link to consent decree East Bay MUD's statement on settlement Communities surrounding California’s San Francisco Bay will invest some $1.5 billion over the next 21 years to upgrade 1,500 miles of sewer-system infrastructure as a result of a consent decree lodged in federal court on July 28.The Clean Water Settlement was hammered out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the East Bay Municipal Water District (EBMUD) and seven East Bay communities: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont and the Stege sanitary district.The agreement resolves a lawsuit the EPA and the California State Water Resources Control Board filed, in
Related Links: Text of July 31 executive order Link to Senator Harkin's investigation findings President Obama has signed an executive order that will require federal contractors, including those in the construction industry, to disclose previous labor-law violations and give agencies more guidance on how to weigh that information when awarding contracts.At the White House signing ceremony on July 31, Obama said, “Our tax dollars shouldn’t be going to companies that violate workplace laws, violate workers’ rights." He added, "If a company is going to receive taxpayer money, it should have safe workplaces … and should not discriminate against workers.”The executive
Related Links: President Obama's and Vice President Biden's remarks at signing of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Construction industry groups praised a new law that they say will make it easier for more employers to provide training to their workers. President Obama on July 22 signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which aims particularly to provide lower- and middle-income workers better access to job training.The new law makes a number of changes to the Workforce Investment Act, which dates back to 1998.Some groups say they would like to see further reforms enacted to truly address the growing
Related Links: Link to the National Research Council Report page A new National Research Council report calls for a national risk assessment to identify coastal areas that face the greatest threats from natural disasters and should be high priorities for risk-reduction efforts.The report, released on July 23, says the U.S. lacks a unified national vision for reducing the impacts of natural disasters along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.The risk assessment is needed because the current framework for addressing natural disasters and sea-level rise is disconnected and fragmented, the report's authors say.To achieve a national vision, the report says the federal
