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

New guidance from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, released on April 2, recommends homeowners replace all potentially defective drywall as well as electrical components, wiring, gas-service piping, sprinkler systems and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that may have been affected by the drywall. Also released on April 2 were preliminary data from a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study measuring chemical emissions from drywall. The results show a clear distinction between drywall made in China in 2005 and 2006 and non-Chinese wallboard samples from 2009. Certain Chinese samples had hydrogen-sulfide emission rates 100

The House has approved an extension of the popular “Build America” Bonds program but with a cut in the federal subsidy. The extension, which would carry the bonds program until April 2013, is part of a broader small-business and infrastructure measure the House passed on March 24. There has been no action yet in the Senate on the legislation. The bonds program was established under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is due to expire on Dec. 31. The bonds fund state and local infrastructure work. Since the program was launched in April 2009, the bonds’ volume has

President Obama’s recess appointment of nominee Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board has drawn objections from industry groups and praise from labor unions. Becker, associate general counsel for the AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union, was one of 15 recess appointments Obama announced on March 27. Democrat Mark Pearce, another longtime union attorney, received a recess appointment to the NLRB, too. Also on Obama’s list is Rafael Borras, a vice president in URS Corp.’s mid-Atlantic region. He was named Dept. of Homeland Security undersecretary for management. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved Becker on