Photo Courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Foundation Algae blooms, like this one in the Chesapeake Bay, are typically caused by high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Environmental groups say a pair of lawsuits they have filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are necessary to reduce the size of large algae blooms, or "dead zones," that stretch for miles in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other waterways across the nation.But the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) says court rulings in the environmental groups' favor could have "astronomical" financial impacts on wastewater treatment agencies, which would face facilities

Related Links: Link to Supreme Court website with Sackett v. EPA ruling The U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous March 21 ruling, said that an Idaho couple could legally challenge an Environmental Protection Agency compliance order that told them to restore wetlands on property they had purchased to build a new home.Construction industry groups say the case is not only a win for landowners, but also for developers and construction firms. “It’s a victory for all people who develop land, not just the small mom and pops” says Tom Ward, vice president of legal advocacy for the National Association of

Courtesy of AGC of America 2012 AGC President Joe Jarboe with Clark Construction Group told attendees that he will conduct his presidential year on the theme of "Building Connections," emphasizing technology and collaboration among AGC members and the industry as a whole. Increased emphasis on technology and team-based project delivery highlighted learning opportunities at the Associated General Contractors of America’s 93rd Annual Convention in Honolulu March 13–17. Most of the convention’s workshops and continuing education sessions were focused on emerging skills important to today’s contractors—jobsite technology, collaboration, risk management and improved leadership skills, said AGC spokesman Brian Turmail.“We are very

Related Links: Text of one of the NRDC lawsuits Environmental groups have filed a pair of lawsuits in federal district courts to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take tougher action to curb pollutants in the nation’s waterways. The Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental organizations say their lawsuits, filed March 13,  are necessary to reduce the size of large algae blooms, or “dead zones,” that stretch for miles in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay and other waterways across the nation.But the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) says a court ruling in the environmental groups'

A state court has ordered the New York State Dept. of Transportation to cancel an interchange upgrade project already under way and rebid the job because the agency violated competitive bidding laws by requiring compliance with a project labor agreement or PLA.A state Supreme Court judge in Albany ruled on March 2 that including the labor pact was illegal in this case and "tainted" the bidding process by its inclusion. A state DOT statement says the agency is reviewing its options.At issue is a $72.4-million contract to upgrade an Orange County interchange that was awarded to joint-venture firm A. Servidone/B.

Related Links: As Transport Bill Muddle Continues, State DOTs Cope With Funding Uncertainty Highway-Transit Bills' Progress Slows in House, Senate The long struggle to achieve a surface-transportation funding bill has reached an important milepost, as the Senate passed  a two-year bill authorizing $109-billion for highway and transit programs. Approval came March 14 on a strong, bipartisan 74-22 vote, as 22 Republicans joined 52 Democrats to support the measure.The focus quickly shifted to the House, where Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has had trouble finding votes to pass a five-year, $260-billion transportation-energy package that has made it through committee.Senate Environment and Public

Suburban Maintenance Construction is suing the city of Cleveland after it rejected its $5.6-million bid to upgrade the home of the National Football League's Cleveland Browns.The firm, based in Cleveland, wants a court to void the contract, which went to the slightly higher $5.8-billion bid by Platform Cement of Mentor, and then award it to Suburban. Bryan Stucky, president of Cleveland-based Suburban, claims that none of the five bidders satisfied the city's goals for hiring firms owned by minorities or women. He says Platform Cement's paperwork showed that it had contacted just one minority-owned firm, which it planned to use

Courtesy of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority ONGOING Cleanup continues on Gulf Coast, including work at Elmers Island, La. (above). Energy giant BP's $7.8-billion settlement with individuals and businesses harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill resolves most lawsuits against the company by private citizens but still leaves open the federal government's and the five Gulf states' law-enforcement and natural-resource damage claims. The U.S. District Court in New Orleans will consider the federal and state claims in the near future. The outcome could bring more dollars for further Gulf Coast cleanup and restoration.On March 2, just before its trial

The push for a multiyear surface- transportation bill has suffered a setback on a Senate procedural vote on March 6. Backers of a two-year, $109-billion measure fell eight votes short of the 60 needed for cloture to cut off debate and move ahead on the bill.House Republicans at press time were determining how—or whether—to revise a five-year, $260-billion bill that had cleared committee. On March 1, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said there is GOP opposition to an 18-month bill. "Apparently, our members don't think too highly of it. I would only look at it as a fallback measure," he said.

Related Links: July 2011 report from NRC Near-Term Task Force on Japan The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is directing virtually every commercial U.S. nuclear powerplant to meet new safety requirements, which the commission says it is putting in place as a result of lessons learned from Japan's  March 2011 Fukushima disaster.The NRC, in a March 9 announcement, said it has instructed its staff to issue three orders to  operators of U.S. commercial nuclear reactors. The directives apply to all reactors currently operating or under construction, as well as to those planned and recently licensed at the Southern Nuclear Operating Co.'s Vogtle