Regulatory
INGAA Board Reiterates Commitments, Supports Adoption Of Industry Standards
The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) board of directors voted to reaffirm the organization’s commitment to underground natural gas storage integrity and accelerate implementation of industry storage standards in February. In addition, the board voted to support the Pipeline and..
Minor Pipeline Provision In House Energy Bill
Federal agencies will have less of a chance to slow down applications for pipeline construction if the Senate passes the energy bill which cleared the House in December. The North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015 (H.R. 8) passed the House by a vote of 249-174, which means it h..
Underground Construction Initiatives Highlight 2016 DC Docket
by Stephen Barlas Washington Editor Amendment Would Allow Tax-Exempt Bonds For WIFIA loans There are a couple of major underground construction initiatives circulating in Congress and regulatory agencies this year. But the prospect of an upcoming presidential election means that many bills, which ..
FERC's Policy On ‘Cumulative’ Impact Of Pipeline Projects Faces Tests
FERC’s Cumulative Impact Policy The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued its long-awaited decision clearing a Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. project in Pennsylvania shale country after a federal court had forced the agency to revisit an environmental assessment FERC performed in 2012. The FERC ..
Oil Export Bill Moving Forward
House passage of an oil export bill for the first time in 40 years puts pressure on the Senate to follow suit. The House bill (H.R. 702) is narrowly focused on the oil export issue. However, the Senate bill (S. 2011), awaiting action on the Senate floor, is broader and encompasses provisions on oil ..
The Continuing Evolution Of Tier 4
New Emission Standards For 75-Hp Engines And Above Mean More Educational Awareness The evolution of emission standards in the compact equipment industry has been happening for quite some time. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that all 75-horsepower and above nonr..
Senate Hears About Inadequacy Of Gas Transmission Proposal
Don Santa showed increasing frustration with the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) continued failure to move forward with important pipeline safety regulations. At Senate hearings on Sept. 29, the INGAA chief said that gas transmission pipelines are hesitant to make e..
Summary, Application Of Regulations For Pipe Bursting Asbestos Cement Pipe
by Edward Alan Ambler, P.E., LEED AP Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a two-part series regarding the rehabilitation of asbestos cement pipe. Part one was published in the September issue of Underground Construction. The city of Casselberry is a medium, size town in suburban Orla..
October 2015 News Shorts
OSHA Approves Maine As Newest State Plan Protecting State And Local Workers Maine has recently been approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as the newest State Plan responsible for protecting the safety and health of state and local government employees. The Maine State..
FAA Considers Restrictions On Drones For Pipeline Surveillance
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving to restrict the use of pilotless drones, which are used by the pipeline industry for inspection of facilities in remote, mountainous areas. INGAA has taken issue with a proposed requirement limiting operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to s..
PHMSA Sets Standards for State Excavation Policies
House members of both parties dragged the latest top Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) official to appear before Congress to answer questions about lagging pipeline safety rule implementation. Stacy Cummings, the “Interim” Executive Director and apparently top official a..
Study finds methane emissions lower than EPA estimates
As reported by Don Santa, INGAA president and CEO, the Environmental Science & Technology journal has released a report finding that methane emissions from the natural gas transmission and storage sector are 27 percent lower than the federal government’s estimate, based on the average estimate from ..
Pipelines Hope GOP or Courts Fix New Wetlands Rule
Republicans in Congress are working to pass legislation which would set aside a new EPA and Army Corps of Engineers joint rule to make it more expensive to build pipelines in areas containing streams and other small bodies of water. The new EPA rule would require pipelines – and anyone else wanting ..
Congress Creates New "Pilot" Water Infrastructure Financing Agency
Congress set up a new federal financing authority for water infrastructure construction.
Federal Court Ruling On Mercury Revives Gas-Electric Worries
A federal court decision allowing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to move forward with a rule limiting mercury emissions from power plants has heightened concerns in some quarters about interstate pipeline infrastructure inadequacy.
SRF Funding Dodges Funding Bullet – This Year
A flurry of new water infrastructure funding bills has made an appearance of Capitol Hill.
Colorado Allows Recreational Marijuana But DOT Rules Still Apply
Starting Jan. 1, residents of Colorado are allowed to purchase up to one ounce of marijuana for recreational use, and visitor are limited to a quarter of an ounce.
FERC Gas-Electric Information Sharing Order Draws Complaints
Two separate challenges have been made to the FERC's Order 787 issued last November. It allowed interstate pipelines and electric utilities to share non-public, operational information with each other for the purpose of promoting reliable service or operational planning on either the public utility or pipeline system.
U.S. Files Brief Regarding Interstate Water Dispute
According to a news item in <em>The Associated Press</em>, the Obama administration is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to take a middle-ground approach on a water dispute between Texas and New Mexico over management of the Rio Grande.
NACWA Commends Bipartisan Voluntary Clean Water Trust Fund Legislation
Last November, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), along with Representatives Richard Hanna (R-PA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), John Duncan (R-TN), Donna Edwards (D-MD), Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Jim Moran (D-VA), and Thomas Petri (R-WI) introduced bipartisan legislation, The Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund Act of 2013 (H.R. 3582), to establish a voluntary federal trust fund for investments in clean water infrastructure. Under the proposal, the makers of water-based beverages and flushable products could opt to put a clean water logo on their products in exchange for a 3-cent fee.
Building, Maintaining A Successful Safety/Damage Prevention Program
As Michigan’s largest utility provider, Consumers Energy provides natural gas and electric service to 6.6 million of the state’s 10 million residents, and the company’s safety and damage prevention efforts must address multiple challenges
EPA moves to clarify Clean Water Act scope
In mid-September, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers drafted a proposed rule to clarify which bodies of water fall under the Clean Water Act (CWA) – a question that had been contested for years, with debate hinging on whether waters connecting to “navigable waters” fell under the agencies’ authority.
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.
- TxDOT advances massive drainage tunnel beneath I-35 in Austin
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- Is the Boring Company tunneling blind in Nashville? Experts warn rock tests fall short
- $2.3 billion approved to construct 236-mile Texas-to-Gulf gas pipeline
- U.S. water reuse boom to fuel $47 billion in infrastructure spending through 2035
- Pennsylvania American Water launches interactive map to identify, replace lead water service lines
- Trump's tariffs drive $33 million cost increase for Cincinnati sewer project
- Is the Boring Company tunneling blind in Nashville? Experts warn rock tests fall short
- Utah city launches historic $70 million tunnel project using box jacking under active rail line
- Tulsa residents warned after sewer lines damaged by boring work