Regulatory
Enbridge Receives Presidential Permit for Line 67 Pipeline
The U.S. Department of State has granted a presidential permit to Enbridge Energy, L.P., authorizing the company to increase transport up to a full design capacity of approximately 890,000 barrels per day of crude oil and other hydrocarbons across a three-mile segment of the Line 67 Pipeline at the ..
Customers Against Indiana Michigan Power Rate Hike
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Indiana residents say they can’t afford Indiana Michigan Power’s proposed 20 percent rate hike increase, which would be used to improve the utility’s electric distribution system in Indiana. Customers would see an estimated $26 monthly increase, which could go into effect ..
Cadiz Water Project Approved by Federal Regulators
The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a letter to Cadiz Inc., the Santa Margarita Water District and the Arizona & California Railroad (ARZC), authorizing the use of the existing ARZC right-of-way to construct a pipeline and related railroad improvements as part of the Cadiz W..
Middlesex Water Company Files Rate Request Seeking Recovery for System Upgrades
Middlesex Water Company has filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) for a general increase in water rates for its Middlesex system in New Jersey. Middlesex filed the request seeking recovery of $92 million in investments made to its drinking water infrastructure since..
Contentious Town Sewer Plan to Be Put on Hold
COVENTRY, R.I. (AP) — Officials in a Rhode Island town are planning to put a sewer plan on hold after angry residents complained about high assessment costs. The Providence Journal reports Coventry Town Manager Graham Waters said he will ask the Town Council Friday to halt new projects while he rev..
Judge Approves $1.6 Billion Plan to Repair Baltimore Sewers
BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge has approved a $1.6 billion plan to repair Baltimore’s aged sewer system and stop wastewater from leaking into the Inner Harbor. The consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency comes after years of negotiations between the city and regulators wh..
Federal Regulators Approve Atlantic Coast, Mountain Valley Pipelines
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A divided panel of federal regulators granted approvals Friday evening for the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley natural gas pipelines, major East Coast projects. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authorization had been widely expected by both supporters and opponents..
Oklahoma City Gets Water Permit
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma Water Resources Board has approved a permit for 115,000 acre feet of water per year from the Kiamichi basin to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoman reports that the board voted 6-1 Tuesday to follow the recommendation of a hearing examiner, who concluded in August that the..
Nevada Regulators Fine Southwest Gas $300000 for 2 Gas Leaks in Las Vegas
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — State regulators have fined Southwest Gas Corp. $300,000 for a pair of natural gas leaks it was responsible for in Las Vegas last year. Nevada Public Utilities Commission Chairman Joe Reynolds told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the fine approved Wednesday for violation ..
North Dakota Landowners’ Lawsuit Against Pipeline Dismissed
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen North Dakota landowners who alleged the developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline and a consultant used deceit and fraud to acquire private land easements for the project. But a court case in Iowa involving th..
Route Hearings Set for Canadian Pipeline Construction Project Segment
The National Energy Board (NEB) has announced that detailed route hearings for the Burnaby, B.C. segment (Segment 7) of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project will commence in January 2018. This follows a previous announcement for detailed route hearings in segments one and two (of seven) located in A..
Xcel Energy may Split Subsidiary for Minnesota, North Dakota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Xcel Energy has proposed splitting its utility operations in North Dakota and Minnesota, telling regulators that widening policy differences between the two states over clean energy have caused stresses that might best be resolved through a breakup. But a consultant for the North..
Judge Allows Dakota Access Pipeline to Keep Running During Review
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Dakota Access oil pipeline can continue operating while a study is completed to assess its environmental impact on an American Indian tribe. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s decision will come as a blow to the Standing Rock Sioux, w..
NEXUS Pipeline Construction Can Begin
FERC has approved Enbridge’s request to commence construction of the NEXUS Gas Transmission Project, except for the following locations: North Country National Scenic Trail at milepost 3.5 and Iron Horse Trail at milepost 17.0 From milepost 130.5 to milepost 133.0 and milepost 151.5 to milepost ..
HDD Activities Can Resume on Rover Pipeline in Michigan
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has authorized Energy Transfer Partners request to resume horizontal directional drilling (HDD) activities at the following locations along the Rover Pipeline Project: East Austin Road, between mileposts 62.62 and 63.14 Interstate 71, between milep..
$23 Million Awarded for Water, Sewer Projects in New York's Southern Tier
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has approved $23 million in grants to support 12 essential drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout the state’s Southern Tier, including upgrades and replacements for drinking water systems, filtration plants and water mains, as well as the..
New York Grants Nearly $30 Million for Mohawk Valley Water Projects
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York is granting nearly $30 million for water infrastructure projects in the Mohawk Valley. The $29,661,723 in grant money will be used to support 21 drinking water and wastewater projects in the central New York region. It’s part of $255 million that’s available statewide f..
Big Water Tunnels Project OK'd by Southern California Agency
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The powerful Metropolitan Water District voted Tuesday to pay its share of the $16 billion project to build two massive tunnels to pipe water from Northern California to Southern California cities. The 28-6 vote gives Gov. Jerry Brown’s ambitious project an important boost of sup..
Justices to Hear Argument in States' Disputes over Water
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will hear a decades-long dispute between Florida and Georgia over water rights. The justices on Tuesday issued a brief order in a lawsuit that Florida filed at the high court challenging water use by its neighbor. The court set not set a date f..
Michigan Governor Sticking to Flint Water Crisis Story
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s governor insisted Thursday that his congressional testimony regarding the Flint water crisis “was truthful and I stand by it,” shortly after a committee pointed out a potential discrepancy and warned him about committing perjury. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder sent t..
Trump Administration: Court Can't Suspend Pipeline Decision
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration says a federal court has no authority to second-guess a presidential permit for the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. Justice Department attorneys are due in U.S. District Court in Montana on Wednesday to argue for the dismissal of two la..
Vincent Sapienza Named Commissioner of New York City's DEP
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has named Vincent Sapienza as the Commissioner of the City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). During his 34 years with DEP, Sapienza has served in leadership posts for several of the key operating divisions, has overseen major capital improvements and..
Nearly $200 Million Awarded for Water Projects in Florida
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded nearly $200 million in low-interest loans and grants from its Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs for 45 statewide clean water and drinking water projects. Both funding p..
Omaha Utility Says Water, Gas Rates Likely to Rise in 2018
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha-area utility says work to replace aging infrastructure will see natural gas and water bills in the area rise again next year. Metropolitan Utilities District is planning increases similar to those approved for 2017, the Omaha World-Herald reported . The board ..
Another Official Facing Manslaughter Charge Over Flint Water Crisis
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A special prosecutor said Monday the he will add a charge of involuntary manslaughter against Michigan’s chief medical executive in a criminal investigation of the tainted water crisis in Flint and an extraordinary outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Dr. Eden Wells was in court f..
Another Wastewater Release Darkens Water near Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — More wastewater has been discharged into the Niagara River in the latest in a series of overflows since a discharge blackened water near Niagara Falls in view of summer tourists. The Niagara Falls Water Board says heavy and prolonged rain is to blame for Monday morning’s ..
NC Gives Qualified No to 3-State Natural Gas Pipeline
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina has said “no” to an interstate pipeline to carry natural gas, marking the first decision of any state or federal agency on the project. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality issued a letter of disapproval last m..
Snyder Appointee Contradicts Him on Legionnaires' Outbreak
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan official testified Friday that he told Gov. Rick Snyder about a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the Flint area late in 2015, contradicting the governor who has repeatedly insisted that he didn’t learn about it until some weeks later in 2016. Harvey Hollins, w..
18 Vermont Communities Get $6M for Stormwater Projects
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Transportation Agency says 18 Vermont communities are going to be getting nearly $6 million in state and federal grants to help those communities control stormwater runoff. Republican Gov. Phil Scott says the money from the Municipal Highway and Stormwater M..
West Virginia Top Court Blocks Order for Replacement Water
CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia’s highest court has blocked a judge’s order requiring a mining company provide replacement drinking water to residents who said its wastewater impoundment contaminated their wells. Supreme Court Chief Justice Allen Loughry writes that the judge lacked the authority t..
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Two workers rescued after hours trapped in Mich. trench collapse
- Trump calls for Keystone XL pipeline revival, but developer has moved on
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes
- Ameren Illinois to invest $140 million in natural gas pipeline replacement program
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds