Related Links: Court Ruling on the Power Plan A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled it is too soon to legally challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule to trim carbon emissions from existing powerplants.Judge Brett Kavanaugh said on June 9 that although industry groups, companies and states are "champing at the bit" to challenge EPA's proposal, expected to be made final this summer, the court lacks the authority to evaluate proposals that are not final.
Enlarge Related Links: EPA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Information on Argonne National Laboratory's biofuel's program Proposed federal mandates for ethanol and advanced biofuels under the federal law requiring certain levels of renewable fuels to be blended with gasoline seem to have few supporters and many critics.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on May 29 its proposed targets for cellulosic biofuels, biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels to be blended with gasoline for 2014-2016 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).Ethanol and other biofuel blends for transportation vehicles were initially heralded in some quarters as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in
Related Links: EPA/Corps summary of new regulation (incl. table comparing existing, 2014 proposed and new final versions Text of preamble to new final regulation The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers have issued a new final rule that they say will clear up the muddy definition of which rivers, streams, wetlands and other bodies of water are subject to federal regulation and which are not. The regulation, which the agencies announced on May 27, is important to construction firms, which need to obtain a Corps permit to build in and around federally regulated waters.It has become one of
Related Links: Senate Appropriations Committee press release on military construction-VA bill Senate Appropriations Committee release on energy-water programs bill In its first action on fiscal 2016 spending bills, the Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended large boosts for Dept. of Defense construction and Dept. of Veterans Affairs major projects. It gave a tiny increase to the Army Corps of Engineers civil-works program.The committee on May 21 cleared a measure that would provide $8.1 billion for FY16 DOD construction, up $1.5 billion, or 23%, from this year's appropriations. The same bill includes $1 billion for VA major projects, an 83% boost from
Related Links: Text of two-month transportation bill Congress again has extended authorizations for federal highway and transit programs, but only through July 31, failing to produce the long-term measure with strong funding increases that construction industry and state transportation officials have long been pushing for.Final congressional action on the measure came early in the morning of May 23, when the Senate passed it on a voice vote. The new stopgap is the 33rd extension in six years.The House had approved the bill on May 19. Congress needed to act before its Memorial Day break because the current stopgap was set
Related Links: Text of two-month transportation bill The House has approved yet another short extension for federal highway and transit programs, which would keep them going for a brief two-month period at current funding levels.But the measure, which the House passed overwhelmingly on May 19 by a 387-35 vote, also would be the 33rd stopgap in six years, continuing the protracted stalemate over how to find the revenue for what construction industry and state transportation officials most want: a six-year transportation bill with increased funding. The Senate is expected to clear the latest extension by May 22. The White House
Related Links: Information on House bill ENR Blog on House-Senate hearing on Waters of U.S. Construction industry groups are hopeful that Congress will pass legislation to require the Environmental Protection Agency to revise a not-yet-finalized rule defining which bodies of water fall under federal jurisdiction and thus require an Army Corps of Engineers permit authorizing construction or dredging to begin nearby.SHUSTERBut environmental advocates expect that President Obama would veto any measure that seeks to delay implementing the joint EPA-Corps regulation. They say that the bills, introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Sen. John Barrasso
Related Links: Statement from bill sponsor, Sen. Rob Portman; other comments Letter from groups that support the bill, including list Legislation to expedite permitting for a wide range of infrastructure projects has advanced in the Senate. The bill, which the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee cleared on May 6, is based in part on the 2012 MAP-21 highway-transit law's project-review provisions, says sponsor Rob Portman (R-Ohio).The bill goes beyond roads and transit to cover energy, aviation, broadband and other projects, too. It would apply generally to projects exceeding $200 million, up from $25 million in an earlier version.Among the
Related Links: House Appropriations Committee release on military construction-VA bill passage, with links to bill text floor amendments Committee's release on energy-water programs bill passage with links to bill text, floor amendments The House, approving its first two fiscal 2016 appropriations bills, has called for increases in military construction and the Army Corps of Engineers' civil-works program. But the House also froze the Dept. of Veterans Affairs' account for large projects and cut VA's minor-projects budget.By a 255-163 vote, the House on April 30 cleared a bill that would boost Dept. of Defense construction 13%, to $6.8 billion. The measure
Related Links: California Releases Full Bay Delta Plan California Bay Delta Plan Undergoes More Changes California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) unveiled a significantly down- sized plan to restore his state's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a major water resource for both agricultural and urban users. A revised environmental impact report will be circulated in June."Bold action is imperative. We've listened to the public and carefully studied the science. This revised plan is the absolute best path forward," says Brown.The previous $25-billion Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) faced difficulty in permitting some 110,000 acres of habitat restoration over 50 years. Under the new
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