Some construction industry groups are concerned about a potential proposal from the White House they say would allow federal procurement officers to “blacklist” contractors based on an new pre-screening scoring system. President Obama reportedly is considering issuing an executive order to make changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation, says Marco Giamberardino, a senior director at the Associated General Contractors. He says the proposal may resemble recommendations from the National Employment Law Center for “high-road” contracting, which gives preference to firms that provide wages or benefits exceeding current federal requirements. The recommendations also raise questions about what criteria would be used

Early work has begun in the House on a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which would authorize new Corps of Engineers civil-works projects and mandate changes in Corps policies. No bill has been introduced, but lawmakers already have flooded the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with hundreds of requests for projects in the new WRDA. Industry groups want to see the bill provide higher Corps spending, plus changes in policies and project cost shares. Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways groups seek funding hike to improve river locks, plus a higher federal share for dam projects and a waterways

Four New York State trade associations representing heavy-construction contractors are suing the state over Gov. David Paterson’s announcement in March that the New York Dept. of Transportation would halt payments on all capital construction projects not funded by federal stimulus dollars. Photo: NYSDOT Governor’s attempt to pressure lawmakers to settle budget triggers lawsuit from contractors, who demand pay for work.l The suit, filed on April 16 in state Supreme Court, alleges the state has violated construction contracts with hundreds of contractors on highway and bridge jobs by requiring them either to continue working without payment or to stop altogether. The

The $8 billion the U.S. Dept. of Transportation awarded in January for high-speed rail was a dramatic move, but it is far from a one-shot deal. DOT now is preparing to seek proposals for a new batch of rail grants, totaling more than $2.3 billion. If the first round, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is any indicator, the next competition will attract a throng of applicants. Photo: California High sped Rail Authority Stiff competition is expected for shares of $2.3 billion in non-stimulus DOT grants. Karen Rae, deputy chief of DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration, says, “It’s a

Following up on a 2009 presidential executive order, federal agencies are working on sustainability plans covering a range of areas, including buildings. The directive, which President Obama signed last October, sets several goals, including a 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020 and achieving “net-zero-energy” buildings by 2030. Agencies’ plans are due at the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Office of Management and Budget in June, says Michelle Moore, the federal environmental executive within CEQ. She told a McGraw-Hill Construction conference on April 8 that in CEQ’s plans, to meet the executive order’s goals, agencies must set priorities

A final regulation implementing a February 2009 executive order encouraging project labor agreements on big federal construction jobs drew criticism and praise. The Associated Builders and Contractors says the rule exceeds statutory authority, but the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Dept. supports the regulation. The rule, published on April 13, doesn’t mandate PLAs but encourages agencies to consider them on projects of $25 million or more.

The Federal Highway Administration again has denied Pennsylvania’s proposal to put tolls on the state’s 311-mile stretch of Interstate 80. Pennsylvania says the denial will cost it about $460 million a year in projected revenue for roads and transit. After FHWA’s April 6 ruling, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D) said he will call a special session of the Legislature to address how to deal with the loss of the hoped-for funds. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said FHWA’s decision was based “on what is allowable under federal law.” Under a federal pilot program, revenue from proposed new tolls on an

In just one year, federally subsidized Build America Bonds for public-works projects have become a hot item. Volume soared to $90 billion, and localities saved more than $12 billion, the Treasury Dept. said in an April 2 report. The program, created by 2009’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is set to expire on Dec. 31, but the House voted to extend it and President Obama wants to make it permanent. Demand is strong. Treasury, citing data from Bloomberg, says that as of March 31, states and localities had gone to market with 1,066 Build America Bond (BAB) issues, totaling more

International donors have pledged $5.3 billion for the first stage of a plan to help earthquake-devastated Haiti rebuild. Among pledges made at a March 31 conference was $1.15 billion from the U.S. Haiti says it will need $3.9 billion for the 18-month first phase of the plan. The Jan. 12 magnitude-7 quake caused more than 220,000 deaths and destroyed about $4.3 billion in housing, roads and other infrastructure.

The Environmental Protection Agency on April 1 issued guidance that for the first time provides a numeric benchmark to measure the level of salt in water affected by mountaintop mining in Appalachia. Currently, states use “narrative” standards, which do not include numeric benchmarks. The guidance, a blow to the mining industry, identifies a range of conductivity of 300-500 microSiemens per centimeter in streams affected by mining runoff. The guidance took effect immediately but may be modified after a public comment period, EPA says. Ed Hopkins, the Sierra Club’s director of environmental programs, says the new policy will make it easier