Related Links: After Elections, Construction Looks for Action on Key Issues MAP-21 Transportation Measure Goes on the Books New Corps of Engineers Commander Bostick Taking Stock High Court Declines to Hear Jacobs' Appeal of Minnesota Bridge Case During the contentious and costly 2012 elections, construction industry and union groups poured more than $139 million total into federal campaigns. But after the votes were in on Nov. 6, the balance of power was little changed between the parties.Industry, which generally backed Republican candidate Mitt Romney, and organized labor, which supported the victorious President Obama, both predict a second Obama term will

Related Links: EPA's PM standard info EPA non-attainment areas The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued tougher air-quality standards for soot and other fine particles, setting the annual health standard at 12 micrograms per cubic meter, compared with the current standard of 15 micrograms per cu m.EPA officials say the health benefits of the final regulation, announced on Dec. 14, include thousands of lives saved and will far outweigh the costs. In a call with reporters, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Gina McCarthy, EPA assistant administrator for air and radiation, said the benefits could range from $4 billion to $9

Related Links: NGA-NASBO Fall 2012 Fiscal State of States Report The fiscal condition of U.S. states continues to improve as revenue and spending rise, but the gains are modest, and many states are still not back to their pre-recession financial levels, says a new report from the National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO).The latest NGA-NASBO biannual "Fiscal Survey of States," released on Dec. 14, says that states’ total general-fund revenue for fiscal year 2013 is expected to rise 3.9%, to $692.8 billion, finally bringing income above the pre-recession 2008 mark. For most states,

Related Links: U.S.-Russia Trade Bill on Fast Track to Passage (ENR 7/30/12) Commerce Dept. overview: U.S. construction-equipment exports to Russia Legislation that is expected to spur U.S. construction-equipment exports to Russia has cleared its final congressional hurdle, as the Senate approved a bill to establish permanent normal trade relations between the two countries.Senate passage came on Dec. 6, by a strong, bipartisan 92-4 vote.The measure, which the House had approved on Nov. 16, next goes to the White House for President Obama’s expected signature.Under PNTR, the U.S. will be able to take advantage of export benefits provided by Russia as

Related Links: OMB supplemental appropriations request to Congress Statement from Govs. Cuomo, Christie Statement from House Appropriations Chairman Rogers The Obama administration has asked Congress to approve $60.4 billion in emergency funds to help East Coast states recover and rebuild from Hurricane Sandy’s heavy blows and to take longer-range steps to guard against massive damage from future storms.The supplemental funding request, which the White House sent to Capitol Hill on the evening of Dec. 7, includes $47 billion for relatively immediate relief, repairs and rebuilding and $13 billion to help the states and their localities put in place permanent mitigation.The

Related Links: Shuster's voting record for 112th Congress (Washington Post database) Rep. Bill Shuster official bio One of the most crucial House committees for the construction industry will get a new leader when the 113th Congress convenes in January. House Republicans on Nov. 28 picked William "Bill" Shuster (R-Pa.) to be the next chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.The T&I panel oversees most major federal public-works programs, including highways, transit, airports, Corps of Engineers civil works and Environmental Protection Agency wastewater treatment.Major issues facing Shuster when he takes the gavel next year include drafting a new Water Resources Development

Related Links: Link to opinion in Arkansas Game and Fish Commission v. U.S. on Supreme Court website High Court Hears Property Takings Case The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Dec. 4 against the federal government in a property “takings” case involving water releases from an Army Corps of Engineers Dam. The court also heard oral arguments in two Clean Water Act cases on Dec. 3 and 4.Although none of the cases touched on the broader question of federal versus state jurisdiction in issuing permits, construction groups are keeping a watchful eye on all three. Nick Goldstein, American Road & Transportation Builders

Photo By AP Wideworld Obama meets with Senate and House leaders as talks begin to try to prevent tax increases and spending reductions from taking hold. Related Links: Construction Starts Forecasted to Increase 6% in 2013 Construction Shifts Focus to Legislation, Regulatory Issues With only weeks remaining before a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts are set to kick in, construction industry officials are anxiously watching the progress of White House and congressional negotiations to stave off that painful outcome.If there is no deal and the economy tumbles off the so-called fiscal cliff, construction could be clobbered by three

Related Links: Shuster Voting Record (Washington Post Database) Transportation and Infrastructure Committee homepage Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), will replace John Mica (R-Fla.) at the top post of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at the beginning of the 113th Congress in January.The House Republican Conference made the announcement that it had selected Shuster, who has served on the committee since coming to Congress in 2001, on Nov. 28. Shuster has previously served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.Mica, who will begin

Related Links: Next Step in U.S. Nuclear Market Could Be Built Round Small Modular Reactors Feds OK New Georgia Units The Dept. of Energy has announced the winner of the initial part of a two-phase award for the commercial deployment of small modular reactors, or SMRs, in the U.S.The first project award, announced on Nov. 20, goes to a joint-venture team of Charlotte, N.C.-based Babcock & Wilcox and San Francisco-based Bechtel, working in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Bechtel is the architect-engineer, and B&W is the technology provider. TVA hopes to acquire a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license for