| News for and about the civil engineering community
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- Panama Canal project forges ahead with dredging contract
Belgium-based Dredging International has been awarded a $177.5 million dredging contract to widen and deepen the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The project, awarded by the Panama Canal Authority, is part of a larger $5.25 billion expansion of the canal. Engineering and construction firm CH2M Hill of Denver is overseeing the entire expansion project since being named project manager last August. Engineering News-Record
(4/4)
- Michigan threatens suit over Corps' dumping plan
Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality is threatening to sue the Army Corps of Engineers over plans to pump river mud into a county disposal site that lacks a needed slurry wall. The Corps originally agreed to build the slurry wall and obtain a groundwater permit for the 500-acre site in Saginaw County, but it now maintains that the DEQ requirements are "merely advisory." The Dredged Material Disposal Facility is designed to hold 20 years' worth of sediment dredged from navigational channels in the Upper Saginaw River. Bay City Times (Ann Arbor, Mich.)/MLive.com (Mich.)
(4/8)
- Seattle admits to overdredging cruise ship port
The Port of Seattle has violated federal limits on dredging, and the Army Corps of Engineers has 30 days to decide whether it will impose fines. In excavating two sites for cruise ship traffic, the port removed 1,348 cubic yards of sediment -- about 115 truckloads -- beyond what was allowed under federal permits. The Seattle Times
(4/8)
- Airport, infrastructure woes mounting for Ferrovial
Global infrastructure giant Ferrovial is facing mounting pressure to break up its BAA unit following the disastrous opening of Heathrow's $8 billion Terminal 5. Long lines, lost bags and late flights have caused an uproar in the U.K., where BAA enjoys a near monopoly in airport operations. With its infrastructure-construction arm also in trouble, analysts speculate Ferrovial may have to sell one or more airports to reduce its nearly $20 billion debt load. The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland)
(4/7)
| Technology and Trends | | |
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- W.Va. joins rush to public-private highway deals
West Virginia has become the 24th state to authorize public-private partnerships in building new highways. With maintenance costs eating up an increasing percentage of the state's highway budget, lawmakers passed a bill allowing private companies to bid on new construction projects. "This allows us to tap into the private sector and the funding they have available for highway construction," said state Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox. MetroNews (West Virginia)
(4/7)
| Sustainability | | |
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- Tennessee seeks to rationalize water-management system
Even as spring rains ease a long drought in Tennessee, state policymakers are debating steps to ensure that the next dry spell is less painful. Over the summer, leaky pipes and aging infrastructure led many counties to implement Draconian watering restrictions, while neighboring counties with better facilities had all the water they needed. A bill in the state House would smooth out those differences by mandating large water-management districts instead of the current patchwork of county water authorities. The Tennessean (Nashville)
(4/7)
- Lake Okeechobee to get natural "kidney" under land-donation plan
Water management officials in Florida are calling a proposed land donation a huge win for the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie estuary. "It's going to be a relief for the estuary, relief for the lake, and water for down south," said Ruth Clements, director of land acquisition for the South Florida Water Management District. The owners say they will donate the thousands of undeveloped acres, valued at $53 million, in exchange for the rights to mine the limestone used by the Army Corps of Engineers to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. TCPalm.com
(4/7)
| Management Practices | | |
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- Staying competitive means more than pleasing clients
Companies often become so focused on customer requests that they miss new threats from competition and technology. In addition to fine-tuning operations to make customers happier, companies need to stay alert to the competition, emerging technology and changes in government rules. Forbes
(4/7)
| Policy Update | | |
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- Key senator calls for infrastructure stimulus plan
Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, is calling for economic stimulus in the form of infrastructure spending coupled with mortgage relief. The Connecticut Democrat wants the federal government to guarantee lower-rate mortgages at the same time it steps up spending on highways, bridges and transit systems. "Our economy will never grow in the 21st century unless we expand and repair the deteriorating infrastructure needs of our country," he said. FoxNews.com/Associated Press
(4/6)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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| Critical Infrastructure | | |
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- Arizona to promote $42 billion transport plan
Backed by a coalition of business and political leaders, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is preparing to unveil a $42 billion transportation plan that includes a combination of interstates, light rail, commuter rail and rapid-bus systems. Proponents admit new taxes would be needed to finance the improvements, but Napolitano plans to argue over the coming months that Arizonans are already paying a "time tax" under current gridlock conditions. "This is one of those situations, I think, where the price we pay for waiting is much, much worse," says Jeanine L'Ecuyer, the governor's spokeswoman. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)/azcentral.com
(4/8)
| News from ASCE | | |
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ASCE leaders meet with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ranking member
ASCE President David Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE, and Executive Director Patrick Natale, P.E., CAE, F.ASCE, met with House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member John Mica, R-Fla., to brief him on ASCE's priorities for the upcoming authorization of the surface-transportation program. Mongan and Natale recommended the new program feature significant increases in federal investment, enhanced revenues from a higher motor-fuels user fee, increased intermodalism, expedited project decision-making and delivery, and expanded research and development programs. The nation's current surface-transportation authorization, SAFETEA-LU, expires in October 2009. Read about this and more public policy news in ASCE's This Week in Washington.
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NYC emergency management commissioner emphasizes planning, communications to ASCE/TISP gathering
The Infrastructure Security Partnership recently hosted Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno of New York City's Office of Emergency Management as a featured speaker, where he presented an overview of OEM activities with an emphasis on emergency response planning, interagency coordination, and public communications. Bruno stressed the importance of regional and operational planning. His presentation will be available as a complimentary podcast at: http://podcast.tisp.org. Upcoming TISP breakfasts are scheduled for April 24, May 15 and June 19 in Washington, D.C. Read additional details. www.tisp.org.
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