Regulatory
Major New Pipeline Safety Program Being Readied By PHMSA
The federal pipeline safety agency is opening up a new front in its efforts to improve gas and oil pipeline safety. The Integrity Verification Process (IVP) previewed this summer by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) would be an "add-on," and a very costly one at that, to the existing Integrity Management (IM) program which obligates pipelines to test segments in "high consequence areas (HCAs)." There are 18,000 miles of pipeline in HCAs.
OSHA’s new safety, health certificate program launched
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched Public Sector Safety and Health Fundamentals, a new certificate program that provides public sector employees training on occupational safety and health to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities among workers in state and local governments.
Binz Withdraws From Consideration For FERC Chairmanship
The withdrawal of the White House nominee for the FERC chairmanship reflects the intensity of the political wars between Democrats and Republicans in Washington, the heavy-handed Obama administration and miscues by Binz, a former Colorado Public Utility Commission Chairman.
Volvo CE Interim Engine Conversions
From the second quarter of 2014 Volvo CE customers will be able to have their Tier 4i/Stage IIIb machines fitted with a special engine conversion kit. This kit will enable Volvo owners to sell their used machines on to countries where high-sulphur fuels are still used.
Pipeline Construction Impacted By OSHA Proposal on Crystalline Silica
Oil and gas operations are near the top of the list of sectors which will be affected if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) proposed new workplace standard on crystalline silica becomes final.
OSHA makes changes to improve tracking of federal workplace injuries, illnesses
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a final rule that will require all federal agencies to submit their OSHA-required injury and illness data to the Bureau of Labor Statistics every year.
U.S. Secretary Of Commerce Visits Vermeer
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker traveled to Vermeer Corporation on Aug. 8 as part of her nationwide listening tour, during which she met with businesses and thought leaders to hear about their priorities, concerns and ideas on how the public and private sectors can work together to strengthen the economy and create American jobs.
House Committee Drastically Reduces SRF Budgets For Next Year
The House Appropriations Committee made huge cuts in the fiscal 2014 budgets of the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (CWSRF and DWSRF), the main source of federal aid to cities and counties for the purpose of water infrastructure maintenance and construction.
Miami-Dade agrees to upgrade its sewer system
Under a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recently, Miami-Dade County in Florida has agreed to invest in major upgrades to its wastewater treatment plants and wastewater collection and transmission systems in order to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows.
EPA Survey Shows $384B Needed For Water Infrastructure By 2030
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released results of a survey showing that $384 billion in improvements are needed for the nation’s drinking water infrastructure through 2030 for systems to continue providing safe drinking water to 297 million Americans.
Pipeline Approval Reform Bill Hits Headwinds
The pipeline approval "speed up" bill hit a couple of speed bumps on July 9. At hearings in a House subcommittee, the unofficial "pipeline" commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pointed out some potential unintended consequences that might come about if the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act (H.R. 1900) as initially written becomes law.
Wellinghoff Departs FERC
There probably will be neither tears nor jeers from the pipeline community over the departure of FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff. He announced his exit in late May and is staying on until President Obama nominates a successor.
EPA Criticizes State Department Keystone XL Draft EIS
The EPA says it has some fairly significant problems with the State Department's draft environmental impact statement on the Keystone XL Pipeline. The State Department draft supplemental EIS (DSEIS) was based on assessment of a new alternative route proposed by TransCanada.
Settlement ensures improvements to sewer and stormwater systems
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS, has agreed to a settlement to address unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and to reduce pollution levels in urban stormwater.
Accepting Responsibility: Consumers Energy Redoubles Already Stringent Safety Program After Explosion
On Feb. 27, the drill head of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine clipped a 5/8-inch gas line in a residential neighborhood of Royal Oak, MI. Escaping gas migrated to a nearby home and soon after the drilling crew left for the day, the gas ignited, destroying one home and killing its owner.
Obama Draft EIS on Keystone XL Leans Toward Project Approval
The Obama administration's positive draft environmental impact statement on the final, four-state leg of the Keystone XL pipeline appears to set approval by the State Department on an exorable path.
HDD Specs Developed For Ohio DOT
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is reviewing a draft of a proposed Standard Specification for Horizontal Directional Drilling which would ensure quality trenchless installations of underground pipelines and conduits.
Water Infrastructure Initiatives Afoot
Separate regulatory and legislative developments could affect local government ability to afford water infrastructure projects. The Environmental Protection Agency is considering revisions to the agency's 1997 financial capability guidelines which dictate how hard the agency can press cities and counties to undertake expensive Clean Water Act projects such as sewer repairs.
Tougher Requirements For Excavators Likely In 2013
The most significant federal action this year affecting underground construction companies is likely to be the final rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on excavation damage. The rule will have two parts. One will define minimum excavation damage program standards for states.
Editor's Log: Best Guesses & Fingers Crossed
The November elections are over and the nation has survived. But the question remains: when will the much ballyhooed economic recovery begin in earnest? It looks like 2013 is going to be another interesting and challenging year in which the underground infrastructure market must endeavor to persevere. And we will.
Report Opens Door To Liquefaction Approvals
The Department of Energy published a report from NERA Economic Consulting which concludes unlimited exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) will help the U.S. economy, and the greater the exports, the greater the public good. The DOE automatically approves LNG exports to countries with a Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. But it must find that exports to countries without FTAs are in the public interest. The DOE commissioned the report to help it decide whether to approve additional non-FTA exports.
Agencies celebrate 40 years of Clean Water Act, outline a future
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA) along with local utilities and others in the clean water community came together to celebrate 40 years of accomplishments under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and to call for a new vision to ensure further water quality progress.
Evolving Telecom/Electric Realities
As I write this column, it has been about two weeks since the presidential election. In conversations with many industry people, the topic is always what lies ahead for the next four years and can we still transition into a reasonably healthy business environment?
Worried about Wyden
The results of the November presidential and congressional elections portend "more of the same" with regard to issues of interest to the gas transmission industry. Current regulatory dockets already underway will continue along their current track. Those dockets concern greenhouse gas emissions, the integrity management program and fracking.
Hawaii granted EPA funds to improve water quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded the Hawaii Department of Health a $10,946,000 million grant for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and a $9,125,000 million grant for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for water pollution control and drinking water infrastructure projects.
WEF applauds inclusion of water in political platforms
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) applauds the Democratic and Republican National Committees for including support for water infrastructure in their party platforms.
New institute to lead renaissance in manufacturing
In August, the Obama Administration announced it was launching a new institute, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), to be housed in renovated industrial space in Youngstown, OH, to help lead a renaissance in U.S. manufacturing. Academic scientists involved in the institute hope it will also send a message to students that, in the words of one researcher, "manufacturing is as cool as working for Google."
OSHA reestablishes full protection for demolition and underground construction
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a direct final rule that applies the requirements of the August 2010 cranes and derricks in construction standard to demolition work and underground construction, the agency revealed in mid-August.
Obama Drilling Expansion In Alaska Falls Short For Some
ConocoPhillips Alaska, among the most active companies exploring for oil and gas in northern Alaska, found a lot not to like in the Obama administration decision in mid-August with regard to development of the 22.8 million acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
Tighter EPA Soot Standard Could Complicate Underground Construction
Companies who do underground construction will be affected -- and not in a good way -- if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) goes ahead with its proposal to tighten its particulate matter air emissions standard, referred to as the PM2.5 standard (2.5 indicates the size of the particle).
- 2 workers killed, 1 injured while working on sewer line in Mobile, Ala.
- $5.3 billion, 516-mile pipeline to connect Texas to Arizona through New Mexico
- Tunnel boring continues under Chesapeake Bay for $3.9 billion HRBT Expansion project
- Judge approves construction for key portion of $485 million pipeline in Larimer County, Colo.
- 31 workers rescued after LA tunnel partially collapses
- New products: Latest industry developments
- 31 workers rescued after LA tunnel partially collapses
- Ohio Supreme Court rules sewer line location isn’t a ‘defect’ in property dispute
- Faulconer Construction begins rock blasting for water pipeline project in Charlottesville, Va.
- $5.3 billion, 516-mile pipeline to connect Texas to Arizona through New Mexico