Search

Discusses how America is addressing the consequences of overuse, abuse and environmental neglect of its forests and public lands. Waste site cleanup as a responsibility of federal agencies; Legislation seeking to amend mining law; Mining groups' opposition to mining law; Environmental concerns about hard-rock mining; Uncertainties over cleanup site liability.

The article reports on the proposals for executive orders, memorandums, and other related actions from U.S. President Donald Trump. Topics discussed include an overview of the legal actions in the construction industry, the regulations on environmental benefits and worker protections, and the regulations on coal development.

The article reports on the proposal of the government agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to change the Obama-era-federal regulation for power plant coal-ash disposal enacted in 2015 after several major spills in the U.S. It states that the agency has published the first of two rule amendment aimed at saving more than 400 coal-fired plants nationwide. However, environmentalists expressed concern that the changes will allow states to set less stringent standards.

The article reports that if the United States Congress goes along with President George W. Bush's $2.8-trillion budget blueprint it will mean tougher times for many construction programs, with sharp cuts for Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency water accounts. But a few spending arrows do point upward, especially the key highway category and military work. The fiscal 2006 budget deficit is projected to be $423 billion, compared with $318 billion the year before. Bush's 2007 budget includes a $39.1-billion highway obligation ceiling, up 8% from 2006. The general military construction account would edge up 1%, the Department of Defense family housing construction would climb 11%. Bush's budget doesn't spare transportation, slicing Airport Improvement Program grants 24%, to $2.8 billion.

The article informs that WEFTEC.05, the Water Environment Federation's 78th annual technical exhibition and conference, underscored the strength of the world's largest group of wastewater treatment managers, operators and vendors, as well as the group's limitations. The October 29-November 3 conference, a sort of Renaissance Fair for the 21st Century sewer guild, drew more than 18,000 to Washington D.C.'s gleaming new convention center. Environmental Protection Agency's five-year-old gap analysis shows that U.S. water and wastewater infrastructure is in sorry shape.

This article presents information regarding U.S. President George W. Bush's $2.57-trillion budget plan for fiscal year 2006 that asks for severe cuts in many infrastructure accounts. Budget panel Democrats blasted the Bush blueprint. David Bauer, American Road & Transportation Builders Association vice president for government relations, calls the White House proposal a positive step, but notes that there weren't sufficient votes last year to pass a $284-billion bill. The roughest fight may be over Environmental Protection Agency water infrastructure, where Bush wants to slash aid to Clean Water state revolving funds by 34%, to $730 million.

U.S. President George W. Bush administration decision to back away from enforcing certain air pollution rules that determine when power plants must install new emission controls not only may harm the environment, but will severely hamper the bottom line of construction firms and engineers who retrofit those plants. On November 5 the Environmental Integrity Project, headed by former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)enforcement official Eric Schaeffer, said it had learned from senior officials that the agency would drop pending Clean Air Act enforcement actions and not pursue new cases dealing with that statute's New Source Review provisions. Michael O. Leavitt was sworn in as the new EPA administrator.

federal Appeals Court Judge rules that flooding from Katrina and other storms was a result of Corps construction, operation and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the Clean Power Plan, a proposal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the reduction of carbon emissions from existing powerplants released in June 2014. It discusses an overview of the plan that will set individual target reductions for each state by 2020 and 2030, lawsuits filed against the draft rule filed by twelve coal-dependent states on August 1, and significance of the proposal for renewable energy.

Focuses on the effects of the crackdown on ozone-destroying refrigerants in the United States. Effects to the prices of refrigerants; Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of the transfer of used refrigerants; Rules on the reuse of refrigerants.

Reports that Sherwood Boehlert of the United States water resources and environmental subcommittee announced on March 20, 1996 that the anti-environmental strategy of the Republican-led House of Representatives will be toned down. Comments from House of Representative members; Fair treatment of the Environmental Protection Agency's budget.

Reports on the plan of the Environmental Protection Agency for the release of a final rule for manufacturing plants handling hazardous substances. Development of risk management software packages; Sniff testing of potential leaks.

Features the program of the California Environmental Protection Agency for providing qualified environmental technology vendors with product evaluation and certification. Assessment of performance standards; Offer of contaminated premises by defense agencies as test sites.

Reports on the United States Supreme Court's ruling on Chicago's Northwest Waste-to-Energy municipal solid waste incinerator ash as hazardous waste. Victory for environmentalists; City officials' arguments; US Environmental Protection Agency officials' review of technical issues raised in the court's decision; Ruling's impact on ash management practices.

Discusses various aspects of public sector's role in the environmental cleanup industry. Federal agencies' recognition of their cleanup responsibilities; Need to prioritize and economize; Department of Defense's plan for classification of its cleanup sites; Total Environmental Restoration Contracts; Department of Energy's development of a contracting vehicle for its cleanup sites.

Reports on developments related to government policies, legal rulings and legislations on environmental issues in the United States. Reauthorizing the Superfund law; Reauthorizatin of the Clean Water Act; Legislation to elevate the US Environmental Protection Agency to cabinet status; Legislation that would boost development and export of environmental technologies.

The article discusses the disappointment shown by environmental groups on the final U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulation which was released on May 19, 2014, requiring existing powerplants and factories to develop design and construction solutions to reduce the effect of large cooling-water intakes on various aquatic species. Topics mentioned include the alleged non-adherence of the rule to the Clean Water Act and the possible operational and compliance challenges that may come up.

The article reports that U.S. President Barack Obama issued a directive creating a 26-member advisory task force to recommend ways to address the impact of the climate change, with members including California Governor Jerry Brown and Carmel, Indiana Mayor James Brainard.

The article discusses policy decisions awaiting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Gina McCarthy in 2013, such as carbon emissions, stormwater runoff, and coal-combustion waste or fly ash, and mentions her cooperation with construction industry representatives and environmental groups.

The article considers the political views of U.S. Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney and their possible impact on the construction industry should he be elected. A forecast that Romney would be likely to deregulate many industry activities, especially environmental regulations is offered. It is noted Romney has not specified his plans for transportation finance by the U.S.

The article reports on the proposal of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise the Clean Air Act in the U.S. It states that EPA administrator signed the proposed regulatory changes, which will give more time to operators of cement kilns to comply with the regulation, as well as increase limits for soot particle emissions. It also mentions the reaction of the Portland Cement Association (PCA) on EPA's action.

The article reports on the challenges of the owners of heavy duty trucks in meeting the quality requirements of the clean-diesel regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. It notes the result of the study conducted by J. D. Power & Associates Inc., which shows that truck owners have reported quality problems on their new units and a decline in customer satisfaction. The owners admit that their new and complex engines have experienced problems and downtime.

The article reflects on the developments in greenhouse-gas emission regulation in the U.S. since the Democrats took control of Congress and the presidency in November 2008. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 has been approved by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009. Also noted is a proposal by the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate gases from industrial sources cited in the Clean Air Act of 1970. It encourages EPA to focus on solvable environmental problems.

This section offers news briefs on the construction industry in the U.S. as of January 5, 2009. Parsons Corp. is protesting the award of a contract to a URS Washington Division team by the Department of Energy for liquid-waste cleanup at its Savannah River site nuclear complex in Aiken, South Carolina. The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has reinstated the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) of the administration of President George W. Bush. New construction starts in November 2008 fell from the previous month.

The article reports on the appeal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) board that EPA and the Water and Sewer Authority, (WASA) must develop a timetable to reduce discharge levels of nitrogen, as part of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. EPA had planned to address the reductions in combination with modifications to WASA's combined sewer system through an existing consent decree.

This article reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on November 19, 2007 released an updated plan to address a growing "dead zone" that occurs in the Gulf of Mexico each year as a result of excess nutrients flowing into and from the Mississippi River. The plan outlines broad strategies for reducing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous by 45% by 2015 and could have ramifications for wastewater-treatment plants and the construction industry firms that design them.

The article reports that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Stephen Johnson faced tough questioning on November 8, 2007 at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing related to the EPA decision to grant a permit to a Utah coal-fired powerplant without considering its potential impact on greenhouse-gas emissions. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman claimed that EPA had failed to act responsibly in light of the Supreme Court Massachusetts v. EPA decision, which gave the agency the authority to regulate CO2 as a pollutant.

The article compares the energy bills passed respectively by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and examines points of conflicts. The Senate bill would raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard for motor vehicles from 25 mpg to 35 mpg by 2020. The House bill has no CAFE provision. The House bill was supported by environmental groups, but the White House could veto it, according to Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.

The article reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to tighten the ozone standard is meeting stiff opposition both from environmental groups on one side and industry organizations on the other. Senator George Voinovich questioned the wisdom of a stricter standard when some areas are having difficulty meeting the current one.

The article reports on the criticism of the proposal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to tighten the ground-level ozone for the first time since 1997. Industry groups complain that the existing ozone benchmark has not yet been fully implemented, and from environmentalists, who contend the plan is not tough enough. EPA proposes to change the current eight-hour ozone standard of 0.08 parts per million (ppm) to a range of 0.070 to 0.075 ppm.

The article offers a look at changes and new priorities in the U.S. Congress following the Democrats' takeover of the Senate and House in the November 2006 elections. On environmental and labor issues, Democrats' agendas will be radically different from the Republican's. In the Senate, the most dramatic shift will be on Environment and Public Works, where liberal Barbara Boxer (Calif.) on November 14 was named chair, succeeding conservative James Inhofe (Okla.). Aviation programs are up for renewal in 2007.

This article states that after the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Nov. 1, 2006 in a complex Clean Air Act case, attorneys who faced the justices' questions did not want to predict the outcome. A ruling in the case, Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy Corp., is expected by July 2007. The case involves Environmental Protection Agency "new source" rules under the clean air law that take effect when modifications to existing plants increase emissions of pollutants.

The article focuses on a proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revise new source review (NSR) requirements to improve industry investment in energy efficient and lower emission technologies. It cites several provisions of the proposal including one that will allow plants to avoid NSR requirements if its emissions were covered in an existing permit. The agency will take comments on the proposal for 60 days after its publication. Environmental groups believe that the proposal favors the plan to increase industry profits.

This article reports on the ruling of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding Nevada's claims against a Department of Energy (DOE)environmental review and rail transport plan under Yucca Mountain. Nevada argued DOE overreached in 2004 when it chose a corridor from Caliente, Nevada to Yucca Mountain as its preferred rail route to carry waste to the site. But the court rejected the state's claim that DOE's plan violates the National Environmental Policy Act .

The article offers news briefs related to the construction industry. On July 7, 2006, construction firms in New York City breathed easier when a week-old strike by two operating engineer union locals ended and they agreed also to a new four-year contract with the 150-member General Contractors Association of Greater New York Inc. A federal district court in California has ruled on June 28, 2006 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must publish rules limiting stormwater runoff from construction sites larger than one acre. An infusion of private money into public infrastructure has been announced by the Texas Department of Transportation on June 29, 2006.

The article reports that the United States Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to clarify the regulatory issue of whether transfers of water require federal clean water permits. This issue has been at the heart of recent court cases. The agency proposed a rule on June 1 stating that transfers from one body of water to another are not subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. Comments on the agency's proposal are due in mid-July, but officials also are keeping an eye on a federal court in Florida, where a key water transfer case is pending.

The article reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a new test to determine when powerplant emissions levels would trigger Nuclear Science Reference (NSR) mandates, such as installing advanced pollution-control systems. Industry welcomed EPA's action but environmental groups criticized it. EPA is offering three options for figuring emissions after a generating unit is modified. EPA says it's aiming for tests that will be applied nationwide. Kim Mastalio, president of Black & Veatch's strategic sales and marketing division, says EPA's proposal would give powerplant managers some clarity about NSR ramifications when they modify boilers or make other improvements.

This article reports that engineers and constructors are preparing for further growth in the air-pollution-retrofit market following publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest rule to cut powerplant emissions. The Clean Air Interstate Rule aims to reduce air pollution from electricity generation in the eastern U.S. by more than 70%, with curbs on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in 28 eastern states and the District of Columbia. EPA estimates implementation will cost $15 billion over the next 10 years, but will yield health benefits of up to $100 billion.

This article reports that decades of liquid effluent from the Teck-Cominco smelter in British Columbia contributed most of the zinc, lead, cadmium and other trace elements polluting Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report. Teck-Cominco says it has since spent over $1 billion to improve its environmental performance. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asserts it has regulatory authority. Teck-Cominco says it will pay for clean up of pollution it caused, but not under the auspices of EPA or any other U.S. agency.

The article focuses on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has agreed to move on North Carolina's request that powerplants in 13 states be required to cut emissions. A settlement reached on February 17 between EPA, North Carolina and the Southern Environmental Law Center compels the agency to decide by August 1 whether coal-fired plants in upwind states are significantly contributing to North Carolina's air quality problems. The settlement, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Raleigh, also requires the agency to determine what actions must be taken to reduce emissions from the plants. The settlement was reached after North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper filed a lawsuit to compel EPA to act on a petition filed last March under the Clean Air Act. The petition asked EPA to force coal-fired plants in states as distant as Illinois and Michigan to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.

The article presents information about the U.S. health safety measures. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing to cut workers' acceptable exposure level to hexavalent chromium, a heavy metal found in some construction materials. Mechanical workers, particularly those welding or thermal-cutting stainless steel pipe, can suffer from lung cancer and other severe ailments. A Republican-Democratic dispute on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has halted progress on two big federal building projects.

The proposal of altering the plan for curbing powerplant emissions of mercury by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued last December, has two options. An emissions-trading program in 2018 to cut mercury by 70%, or requiring "maximum achievable control technology" to trim emissions by 14 tons by 2007. The plan faces growing opposition in the U.S. Congress, from state officials and even from part of the electric power industry. EPA Administrator Michael Leavitt defended the proposal at an April 1, 2004 Senate clean air subcommittee hearing. Leavitt maintains EPA is not seeking "a rollback" of mercury controls because, to date, there has been no such rule. Whatever plan EPA adopts will mean work for the construction industry, says Bob McIlvaine, president of the McIlvaine Co.

A federal appeals court in the United States has sided with critics of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) powerplant emissions regulation and temporarily blocked part of the rule from taking effect. The decision was a disappointment to EPA, but it was welcomed by those challenging the regulation, including several state attorneys general and environmental groups. In a December 24, 2003, ruling, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay of part of the "new source review" rules of EPA that outline when plant upgrades go beyond routine maintenance and trigger Clean Air Act requirements for installing updated pollution-control technology.

The article reports on developments related to environmental protection in the United States. There are not any new federal airport grants being awarded while a successor to AIR-21 is stuck in the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a security product guide for drinking water and wastewater treatment utilities. The guide evaluates individual products that are applicable to distribution systems, wastewater collection systems, pumping stations, treatment processes, main plant sites and remote sites. An October 1 Environment and Public Works Committee vote on Utah governor Michael Leavitt was blocked when Representatives James Jeffords and panel democrats boycotted.

Focuses on legislation passed by state Assembly of California against air pollution regulations issued by the U.S.-based Environmental Protection Agency. Reason for protest by several states of the U.S. against air pollution regulations.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's July 17 announcement that it will start 11 new Superfund projects, but not 12 others, drew praise and criticism. Senate environment committee chairman James Inhofe says the action shows that President George W. Bush administration is dedicated to cleaning up the nation's Superfund sites. However, Senator Barbara Boxer says that not cleaning other sites is unacceptable.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled its emission reduction plans for nonroad diesel engines, including engines used in construction equipment. The proposal announced on April 15, 2003 would reduce emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides by more than 90 EPA expects emissions standard to start as early as 2008 and be fully phased in by 2014. Public hearings on the plan will be held in June 2003 in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Reports on the approach proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman for the reduction of air emissions from powerplants. Consequences of the plan; Benefits of the proposal; Exclusion of carbon dioxide emissions from the plan.

Reports on a proposed United States Environmental Protection Agency rule aimed at eliminating regional haze in national parks and wilderness areas. Result of the review ordered by President George W. Bush to evaluate the impact of proposed major regulations on energy supply, distribution or use; Guidelines for states and tribal air-quality agencies to seek the best available retrofit technology.

Reports on New York State Governor George E. Pataki's issuance of an executive order to state agencies to implement energy-efficient practices in state buildings. Power purchase requirements from renewable sources for years 2005 and 2010; Creation of the New York State Greenhouse Gas Task Force; Reactions of environmental organizations to Pataki's proposals.