Regulatory
New Mexico Electric Utility Agrees to Settle Rate Dispute
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s largest electric provider has reached a settlement with regulators, the state attorney general and others over a rate increase scheduled to take effect next year. The parties said the proposed settlement was filed Friday with the state Public Regulation Commiss..
Arkansas Capitol to Close for Sewer Line Repairs
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Sewer line repairs at the Arkansas state Capitol will require the building to be closed for at least a weekend, and perhaps for several weeks. Officials in Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2pVGmrm ) that the sewer lin..
Colorado Needs More People Monitoring Pipeline Safety
DENVER (AP) — State records show Colorado has only three people assigned to check on the safety of pipelines running from about 54,000 active oil and gas wells, a task that came under scrutiny after a leaking pipeline was blamed for a fatal house explosion. The Denver Post reported Sunday (http://d..
Colorado Pipeline Explosion Brings Calls for Safety but no Quick Fix
DENVER (AP) — Colorado regulators have ordered a snap review of oil and gas pipelines after a fatal house explosion near a well, but they haven’t said how they plan to fix a fundamental flaw in the system: They don’t know where all those pipelines are. Matt Lepore, the state’s top oil and gas..
API: Oil and Gas Infrastructure Could Create 1 Million Jobs
API has released a new study that shows private investment in U.S. natural gas and oil infrastructure could create more than 1 million U.S. jobs. API contracted with ICF to analyze the scope of the economic opportunity and the amount of oil and natural gas infrastructure development likely in the U..
Regulators Seek More Utility Work for Mississippi Companies
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi regulators want utilities to do more to hire companies based in the state, proposing an administrative rule that would require regulated private utilities to keep lists of interested companies and notify them of contracting opportunities. The Public Service Commiss..
DOE Awards 21 Energy and Water Infrastructure Contracts
The Department of Energy has awarded 21 new energy and water saving contracts to private-sector companies that will help improve the efficiency of federal facilities. These indefinite delivery indefinite quantity energy savings performance contracts are awarded to energy service companies that provi..
West Virginia Targets Broadband Growth, Flood Protection
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two newly signed laws in West Virginia are intended to extend broadband internet service to unreached parts of the state and help it better prepare for major flooding. The broadband measure acknowledges the Legislature and governor have set a primary goal of making ev..
Colorado Bill Would Help Utilities Produce and Store More Gas
DENVER (AP) — A Colorado Senate committee on Wednesday passed a bill to save a state energy agency from extinction — but with caveats that would drastically reduce the agency’s renewable energy portfolio and make it easier for some utilities to produce and stockpile natural gas. The latter provisio..
Report: Nearly One in Four Americans’ Drinking Water Comes from Untested or Contaminated Systems
77 million Americans, roughly a quarter of the U.S. population, were served by water systems reporting violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2015, according to a report issued today by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The offenses ranged from arsenic to nitrate contamination, and includ..
Indiana Cities Rush to Control Wireless Equipment Installation
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Two Indiana cities are rushing to maintain control of where wireless equipment can be placed. The South Bend Tribune (http://bit.ly/2oENTxF ) reports that a plan approved by the Legislature will allow telecommunications companies to place equipment without a permit from loca..
PHMSA Raises Fines for Violations of Pipeline Safety Regulations
PHMSA has issued a Final Rule to alter its regulations and raise the maximum civil penalty amount for violations of federal pipeline safety law. According to the Final Rule, the maximum civil penalty for a single violation is now $209,002 for each day the violation persists, or $2,090,022 for a rel..
Lawmakers Don't Want Illinois' Water to Hit Rock Bottom
SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Lawmakers and environmentalists from parts of Illinois that rely on groundwater want tougher monitoring of porous rock quarries that are being “reclaimed” by filling them with construction waste, saying they want to regulate them to make sure drinking water doesn’t become contamin..
Plastics Firm to Pay for Water Design Work in Vermont Town
BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A plastics company that once used a chemical that has been found in local private water systems is going to repay the state of Vermont about $760,000 for engineering studies of extending municipal waterlines to affected homes in Bennington and North Bennington. The chemical P..
FERC Member Won't Pursue Another Term
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the two remaining members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission says she will not seek a second term, a move that could leave the five-member panel with a single commissioner and further hobble its ability to make decisions. Democrat Colette Honorable said Friday ..
$80 Million Infrastructure Bill Fails in Montana
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana lawmakers adjourned the 2017 legislative session Friday just like they did two years ago — failing to authorize bonds to pay for state infrastructure projects after negotiations collapsed and threats failed to sway intransigent legislators. The Montana House tried twice..
West Virginia American Water to Pay $126 Million Over Chemical Spill
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Residential customers and small businesses could receive thousands of dollars under a proposed settlement with the companies sued for a chemical spill and resulting water crisis in West Virginia’s capital area three years ago. If the federal court approves, the settlement f..
Michigan Legislature Sends Federal Funding to Flint
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Legislature is sending Flint $100 million in federal funding to address the water crisis. Then-President Barack Obama and Congress approved the aid in December. State lawmakers voted Thursday to officially pass the money along to Flint. The federal fund..
Montana House Again Rejects Infrastructure Bonding Bill
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana House has voted down an $80 million infrastructure bonding bill after rejecting similar bills three times this session. However, representatives then voted Thursday to try another vote on the issue later. The House needed a supermajority of 67 votes to ap..
Last Chance for Infrastructure Bill in Montana
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana House will get one last shot at passing an $80 million infrastructure package Friday, with the Senate promising to adjourn the legislative session that afternoon with or without a bill. Gov. Steve Bullock, lawmakers and lobbyists have been scrambling to secure..
Michigan County to Get $3 Million to Fix Sinkhole
LANSING, Mich. (AP) – The state of Michigan will give Macomb County $3 million to deal with a sinkhole in suburban Detroit. The agreement struck Tuesday among legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration resolves a fight between the House and Senate over whether the aid should be a loa..
Texas County Receives Funding for Water Pipeline
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has approved $900,000 in financial assistance, consisting of a $70,000 note and $830,000 in loan forgiveness from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, to Nueces County on behalf of the Cyndie Park 2 Water Supply Corporation. The financial assistance will..
Washington Governor Signs Safe Digging Bill
OLYMPIA, Wash (AP) – Governor Inslee signed a bill designed to save lives, or at least prevent headaches. We’ve all seen the signs: Call before you dig. The worst case scenario for ignoring the warning is tragic: An exploding gas line or thousands of volts of electricity shooting up through a shov..
Maine Town to Get $5M from USDA to Make Wastewater Upgrades
NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving the town of Norridgewock $5 million in grants and loans to make improvements to wastewater infrastructure. The money will come in the form of a loan of $2.8 million and a grant of $2.2 million. The USDA says the sewer system se..
Indiana Town Approves Sewer Contract
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A $187.7 million construction contract has been approved to build the Three Rivers Overflow Reduction and Protection Tunnel in northeastern Indiana. The project is part of a long-term plan to reduce the average number of combined sewer overflows in Fort Wayne from 76 to four..
Northeastern U.S. Needs Pipelines, Report Says
The lack of pipeline infrastructure in the northeast has caused some of the highest electricity rates in the nation for families and business—and it will only get worse, according to a new report by the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy. The latest installment in the Energy Institute..
Report: Wisconsin Must Spend Billions on Water, Wastewater Infrastructure
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A new report from the American Society of Civil Engineers says Wisconsin will have $7 billion in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs in the next 20 years. Wisconsin Public Radio (http://bit.ly/2pZe3qZ) reported the state is already facing water problems, such as ..
Kansas Regulators Reject $12.2B Utility Merger
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas regulators on Wednesday rejected the proposed sale of the state’s largest electric company to a Missouri firm, concluding that the $12.2 billion price was too high and would leave the combined utility financially weaker than the separate companies. The Kansas Corporation ..
Virginia Governor Signs Bill Requiring Quicker Alexandria Sewer Fix
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Gov. Terry McAuliffe has signed a bill that forces Alexandria to move more quickly to fix an infrastructure issue that sends millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River. The legislation signed Friday requires the city to bring its four combined sewer overflow..
Minnesota Town Receives Funding to Fix Aging Sewer Collection System
The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority has awarded a $577,000 grant that will help the city of Cuyuna rehabilitate its sewer collection system. Cuyuna, a city of about 340 people in Crow Wing County, received the grant from the PFA’s Wastewater Infrastructure Fund. Other financial support for th..
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- West Virginia approves $67 million for water, sewer projects