Photo by Tony Bodway, Silica/Milling Machine Partnership NIOSH-industry-labor partnership has been testing anti-silica-dust options, such as this water sprayer system, on milling equipment. Related Links: Links to OSHA fact sheets on proposal: overview, construction provisions, FAQs, etc. Text of proposed OSHA silica rule After more than a decade of study and review, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a much tighter limit on how much airborne silica dust workers can be exposed to, a move that agency officials say will prevent hundreds of deaths and illnesses among construction workers each year.The long-awaited proposal, which OSHA released on Aug.

Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics report on 2012 fatal occupational injuries (preliminary figures) Link to download NIOSH ladder-safety mobile app Construction workplace fatalities rose 5% in 2012, the first annual increase in six years, and the industry’s fatality rate also increased, reports the Labor Dept.'s Bureau of Labor Statistics.According to the latest BLS annual report on fatal occupational injuries, released on Aug. 22, there were 775 workplace deaths in the private construction industry last year, compared with 738 in 2011.The 2012 figures are preliminary; BLS will release updated, final data in April.The industry’s 2012 fatality rate also went up,

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Judge says NRC must resume Nevada waste-site plan review. Work stopped there several years ago. Related Links: U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit's decision Link to Senate nuclear-waste bill text (as introduced), summary and section-by-section analysis The federal appeals court's Aug. 13 ruling was crystal clear. It said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission violated the law when it halted its review of a Dept. of Energy application for an underground nuclear-waste disposal site in Nevada. The court also directed NRC to reopen its evaluation.The next steps in the proposed Yucca Mountain repository's

Courtesy of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Entrance to Yucca Mountain tunnel, under construction (November 2007 photo) Related Links: U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit decision Nuke Waste Disposal Solution Still Elusive (enr.com 6/18/12) A federal appeals court has ruled that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has violated a federal energy statute and directed it to restart its review of a proposed nuclear waste disposal site beneath Nevada’s Yucca Mountain.But NRC has limited funds on hand to deal with the Dept. of Energy’s application for the waste repository—let alone to build a storage facility at the Nevada site or in

Related Links: White House Announcement on Appointments REI Chief Picked to Lead Interior Dept. President Obama's decision to nominate Michael L. Connor, the Interior Dept.'s Bureau of Reclamation commissioner, as deputy Interior secretary has won praise from key senators.Connor, whose nomination was sent to the Senate on July 31, has led BuRec since 2009. He was counsel to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 2001 to 2009. Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) calls Connor "a superb choice" for the Interior post. The energy committee's top Republican, Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), said of Connor, "I believe his integrity, work ethic

Related Links: Congressional Budget Office Testimony on Highway Trust Fund (House subcommittee hearing 7/23/13) DOT Moves To Streamline TIFIA Loan Decisions (enr.com 7/26/13) As the Highway Trust Fund's highway account heads toward a deficit late next year, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's new secretary, Anthony Foxx, says resources such as DOT's expanded loan program and President Obama's proposed infrastructure bank can give the unsteady fund some support. But Foxx also says they won't eliminate the funding gap.FOXXAt an Aug. 1 briefing, Foxx said, "I think that we are going to have to add some tools to the tool box." They

Related Links: Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report for July, with data tables AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's analysis ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu's analysis The construction industry’s unemployment rate continues to improve, dropping to 9.1% in July from June’s 9.8%, but the industry also shed 6,000 jobs as losses in the nonresidential sector outpaced residential-segment gains.The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest monthly employment report, released on Aug. 2, also showed that construction’s July jobless rate was down markedly from the July 2012 level of 12.3%.Last month’s 9.1% was the industry’s lowest monthly mark since August 2008, when it stood

Related Links: World Bank release: FY13 aid commitments (preliminary figures) Link to 2012 update of World Bank Group Infrastructure Strategy World Bank release: approval of $250-million loan for Quito transit project The World Bank’s total financial commitments declined slightly in fiscal year 2013, and its aid to infrastructure sectors fell 13%. Within the infrastructure area, however, transportation funding posted an increase.The bank reported on July 23 that it provided $52.6 billion in loans, grants and other assistance in its fiscal year ended June 30, down about 1% from the previous year’s total. Bank spokesman David Theis said that, within that

Courtesy of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee DOT has received loan requests totaling $15.2 billion for 31 projects. Foxx (above) expects several loans to be approved by year's end. Related Links: Senate committee TIFIA hearing prepared testimony, Webcast States Gear Up to Seek Expanded TIFIA Loan Aid (ENR 8/27/12 issue) With industry and state officials pressing for faster U.S. Dept. of Transportation action on Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loans, DOT is taking steps to speed its reviews for the aid, which is viewed as a critical part of financing packages for major highway, bridge and other infrastructure

Photo by Lonnie Tague for the Dept. of Justice On tap for new secretary are pending or possible OSHA rules dealing with crane safety, silica-dust exposure and work in confined spaces. Related Links: GOP Lawmakers Raise Concerns about Labor Secretary Nominee Tom Perez (ENR 4/29/13) Obama Picks Justice Dept. Civil Rights Chief to Lead Labor Dept. (enr.com 3/18/13) As Thomas E. Perez begins work as the Dept. of Labor's new secretary, construction industry and union groups are waiting to see when the DOL will act on key regulatory issues and what it will say. Some pending or possible rules would