Regulatory
New Commissioner Sworn in at FERC
On Nov. 29, 2017, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) swore in Richard Glick as Commissioner. Glick was nominated by President Donald J. Trump in August 2017 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Nov. 2, 2017. Before to joining the commission, Glick was general counsel for the Democrats o..
Lawsuit Alleges Michigan City Forced Labor on Residents
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A federal lawsuit alleges that Ann Arbor imposed forced labor on 3,000 residents by requiring home owners to maintain mandatory sump pumps in the southeast Michigan city. Attorney Irvin Mermelstein filed the lawsuit against Ann Arbor on behalf of four residents in late Octob..
Michigan Wants All Lead Pipes Replaced Within 20 Years
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration is planning to require the replacement of every underground lead service pipe in Michigan within 20 years while delaying by four years a deadline to implement the nation’s toughest lead limit for drinking water, in the wake of the Flint lead cr..
Agency: US and Canada Need to Do More to Improve Great Lakes Water Quality
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Despite recent improvements, the U.S. and Canada have a long way to go toward ridding the Great Lakes of pollution that endangers human health and the environment, an advisory agency said Tuesday. Inadequately treated sewage, industrial chemicals and farm runoff are stil..
Lawsuit Seeks to Block California Desert Water Project
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Environmental activists sued Tuesday to halt a plan to pump water from under the Mojave Desert and sell it to Southern California cities and counties. The lawsuit takes aim at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for allowing Cadiz Inc. to build a 43-mile pipeline to transfer the w..
Northern Pass Transmission Line Receives Presidential Permit
The U.S. Department of Energy has approved the Presidential permit for the proposed Northern Pass Transmission Line project. The 192-mile above and below ground, alternating and direct current transmission system will deliver up to 1090 megawatts of low-emission, reliable hydropower from Quebec, Can..
New York Sends 72 More Utility Workers to Assist with Power Restoration Efforts in Puerto Rico
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the deployment of 72 additional electric utility experts to Puerto Rico arriving today and tomorrow to assist with the ongoing recovery of the country’s power grid. The deployment coincides with the arrival of a barge loaded with an additional 55 uti..
Flint Utilities Official Pleads No Contest in Water Probe
FLINT, Mich. (AP) – The former utilities director in Flint, Michigan, has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor in an investigation of the city’s lead-tainted water. Daugherty Johnson’s deal Tuesday means two felonies will be dropped. Defense attorney Edwar Zeineh (ZANY) says the misdemeanor also wil..
Nearly $83 Million Awarded for Water Quality Projects in Iowa
The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have awarded low-interest water quality loans totaling more than $82.8 million to 26 communities through the State Revolving Fund. State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are a low-cost construction financing option avail..
$20 Million Awarded to Replace Lead Service Lines Across New York
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $20 million dollars will be awarded to replace residential drinking water lead service lines across the state’s Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC) as part of New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017. The funding is provided ..
Rover Pipeline HDD Activities Halted by Ohio Regulators
CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has told the company building the massive Rover natural gas pipeline project to stop horizontal drilling after another spill of clay-based slurry. The Repository reports EPA Director Craig Butler on Wednesday asked Energy Transfer Partn..
Court Stops NEXUS Pipeline Construction in Ohio
CLEVELAND (AP) — A city facing long odds of stopping section of a $2 billion natural gas pipeline from being built there was handed a victory this week when a federal appellate court issued an emergency order that temporarily halts the start of construction. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in..
Water, Wastewater Apprenticeship Program Receives $250K in Funding
CoBank today announced a partnership with the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) to underwrite a program that will target and train the next generation of technical workers needed to ensure the future operation of critical water and wastewater systems in rural communities. The $250..
Council Narrowly Approves Long-Term Flint Water Deal
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — The Flint City Council has narrowly approved a 30-year agreement to get drinking water from a regional agency, bringing to end one battle among many in the Michigan city still recovering from a lead-tainted water crisis. The deal was approved Tuesday night by a 5-4 vote after ho..
Baltimore Begs People Not to Dump Grease Down Drain
BALTIMORE (AP) — Are you the sort of person who dumps greasy globs of congealed fat and oil down the drain when washing up? If so, Baltimore’s public works department wants you to knock it off this Thanksgiving. The agency is asking residents to refrain from pouring cooking fats, oils and grease “..
Year-Long Boil Water Advisory Ends in New Mexico County
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A boil-water advisory that marked the start of a water crisis in San Juan County more than a year ago is ending. The New Mexico Environment Department confirmed Tuesday it is lifting a water advisory for residents of the Harvest Gold subdivision. State regulators say the dr..
Pennsylvania Regulators Cite Sunoco for Pipeline Construction Leaks
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania regulators are citing Sunoco for a three recent leaks during its construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project.The Department of Environmental Protection last week issued violation notices for two leaks of drilling fluid on Nov. 11, in Chester and Berks countie..
Ohio Village Receives Nearly $2 Million for Water Project
The village of New Waterford has received a $1.78 million interest-free loan from the Ohio EPA to improve the village’s drinking water treatment and distribution system. The project consists of the following: Upgrading the village’s water treatment plant by replacing chemical feed equipment, pre..
200 More Utility Workers from New York Arrive in Puerto Rico
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Another 200 utility workers from New York state have arrived in Puerto Rico to assist in getting the power back on following Hurricane Maria. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the workers arrived Tuesday along with 180 utility vehicles. They follow 160 utility workers and near..
Kansas Regulators to Review Westar Merger with Great Plains
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Shareholders overwhelmingly approved a proposed merger of Kansas’ largest electric company with a Missouri firm Tuesday, a move that aims to create a new unified company with a combined equity value of about $14 billion in a revised deal that still requires regulatory approval. ..
Lawsuit Accuses Utilities of Jacking up Natural Gas Prices
BOSTON (AP) — A class-action lawsuit has accused two utilities of conspiring to drive up energy costs in New England in a multi-year scheme that affected millions of customers. The lawsuit filed this week in Boston federal court alleges Eversource Energy and Avangrid Inc. used their market po..
Flint Water Breakthrough After Court-Ordered Talks
DETROIT (AP) — The Flint City Council is expected to support a 30-year agreement to get drinking water from a regional agency after an afternoon of court-ordered negotiations. The deal means the Great Lakes Water Authority would continue to serve Flint. It has been providing water since fall 2015 w..
More than $84 Million Awarded for Sewer, Water Projects in Florida
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently provided more than $84 million toward the completion of four water quality improvement projects in Central and South Florida. The funding was awarded through DEP’s Division of Water Restoration Assistance’s various funding resources a..
Officials Concerned About Contaminated Water in Kansas Town
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Officials with a water district downstream from Lawrence are concerned about the short notice they received regarding the city’s release of nitrogen-contaminated water into the Kansas River. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environmen..
Pipeline Upgrades Included in PG&E's Proposed Gas Transmission and Storage Plan
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today submitted a comprehensive proposal as part of its 2019-2021 Gas Transmission and Storage (GT&S) rate request to California regulators. The request outlines how the company will continue to achieve increased levels of gas safety by strengthening and moder..
Pennsylvania Utility's Settlement Could Spur $1.8 Million Investment in Lead Line Replacement
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) have entered into a Consent Order and Agreement (COA), including a $2.4 million civil penalty assessment for violations related to lead level exceedances, partial lead service line repla..
Ohio Town Awarded Funding to Build Emergency Water Line
The city of Campbell has received a $454,000 low-interest loan from the Ohio EPA to establish an emergency drinking water connection with Youngstown. The project will build a water transmission line connecting to Youngstown to provide redundancy within the water distribution system. This will ensur..
Keeping California “Water Strong” Focus of ACWA Conference
The Association of California Water Agencies’ (ACWA) today announced Keeping “CA Water Strong” through solid water infrastructure, sustainable groundwater systems and forward-thinking water policy will be the focus of 2017 Fall Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim Nov. 28 – Dec. 1. An estimated 1,600..
ASTM International Standard Aims to Reduce Contamination and Costs in Plastic Pipe Production
ASTM International announced its committee on plastic piping systems is developing a new standard that aims to use best practices to prevent contamination in manufacturing polyethylene pipe and fittings. According to ASTM International member Eugene Palermo, manufacturers could use the standard to ..
New York Accepting Nominations for Public Service Award
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that nominations are now being accepted for the Empire Star Public Service Award, a $5,000 professional development scholarship program for state employees. Nominations are being accepted for those who have distinguished themselves through their dedication..
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