Bush Administration Plays Highway Proposal SAFE BY
CY MALLOY
Concrete Products, Jun 1, 2003
Brought to you by:The White House formalized its
proposed plan for reauthorizing the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century last month. Concurrent with the Political Partners for
Concrete Results Conference (note Editorial, page 4), U.S. Department of
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta hosted a May 14 briefing to
unveil a six-year, $247 billion proposal, “The Safe, Accountable,
Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003,” to carry the
federal highway program past TEA-21. SAFETEA more than doubles funding
for highway safety over levels provided in TEA-21, the Administration
contends, and serves as a framework for investment needed to maintain
and grow the nation's vital transportation infrastructure.
SAFETEA rounds out the field of three proposals the federal construction
lobby has anticipated as Congressional committees approach the thick of
TEA-21 reauthorization. Against the White House's $247 billion plan are
the Senate's, calling for $255 billion, and the House's $375 billion
package noted above. The Administration's SAFETEA proposal is available
at www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization/safeteaWATER WORKS
While much of the federal construction lobby's attention is focused on
TEA-21 reauthorization, members of the Water Infrastructure Network
(WIN) continue to pursue umbrella legislation for Clean Water and Safe
Drinking Water program. In the House, WIN reports, Water Resources
Subcommittee Chairman Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) and Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-AK) have introduced the
Water Quality Financing Act of 2003 — H.R. 1560 — authorizing $20
billion over five years in federal assistance through State Revolving
Loan Funds. The sponsors planned to mark up the bill following the
Congressional recess. As the second order of business, updates were
received on the current House (H.R. 20) and Senate (S. 170) water bills.
Third, it was agreed that this year's final bills should include a study
provision to uncover various ideas for creating a sustainable trust
fund.
Chaired by the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), along
with design professionals, manufacturers and suppliers as well as other
professional organization members, the Clean Water Council (CWC)
commended Reps. Duncan and Young for their leadership in introducing
H.R. 1560. The final FY '04 budget resolution approved by Congress on
April 11 did not include a provision adopted by the Senate to increase
funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The Senate's
original version of the budget resolution, passed March 26 by a 56-44
vote, included an amendment offered by Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID) adding
$3 billion to the $2.2 billion currently available. The House approved
the conference report for the budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 95), which
did not include additional infrastructure funding, by a 216-211 vote
April 11. Later that day, the Senate approved the conference report
51-50, with Vice President Cheney casting the deciding vote.
Water Environment Federation
WEF conducted its annual Washington briefing, “Continued Progress and
New Perspectives,” early this spring at the Hotel Washington in
Washington, D.C. During an afternoon keynote address, EPA Assistant
Administrator for Water Tracy Mehan stated that the draft proposed rule
to minimize sanitary sewer overflows is a “nonstarter” until EPA
resolves issues surrounding a policy on blending wastewater treatment
flows.
According to Mehan, the Office of Water and the Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance are conducting internal discussions on the
blending guidance, but both offices “agree it is time to move from ad
hoc enforcement discretion” to a more consistent enforcement approach.
However, until issues related to blending are resolved, EPA does not
plan to move forward on the draft SSO proposal. Mehan also reported that
total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), watershed permitting, and
water-quality trading are the agency's top priorities to advance
implementation of the watershed management approach. Citing monitoring
as another major priority for the Office of Water, Mehan said that EPA
is considering start up of a water monitoring council.
In a keynote address to the WEF gathering, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)
requested support for his FY ‘04 budget amendment to provide an
additional $3 billion for water infrastructure. The budget resolution
proposes that the additional $3 billion be offset by unspecified budget
cuts across various programs.
Safe Drinking Water/SRF Funding
The allotment of EPA grants for state Revolving Fund loans is derived
from state drinking water needs identified in the most recent Drinking
Water Needs Survey. Results from the second Needs Survey were published
in February 2001. Each state must receive a minimum of 1 percent of the
national appropriation available to states. EPA will notify each state
of its allotment from a specific fiscal year's appropriation after the
final budget has been passed. The FY 2002 appropriation was $850
million. Reflecting an agency budget reduction of 0.65 percent, the FY
2003 allotment of $850 million was decreased to $844,475,000. The amount
available to states from the national appropriation is reduced through
national set-asides, including funds for American Indian and Alaska
Native Village water systems at a level of 1.5 percent of the total
appropriation.
FEDERAL AGENCIES Environmental Protection Agency
As part of the ongoing celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Clean
Water Act, EPA has released a CD-based outreach kit to help communities
implement the new requirements of the Phase II NPDES storm water
regulations. The kit includes a variety of materials for homeowners,
construction site operators, children and businesses. Local officials
can use the Storm water Month CD to customize these materials with their
agency's name, address, and phone number so that citizens will know
where to turn for more information. Further details may be found by
visiting www.epa.gov and clicking on National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System.
With respect to funding, the EPA web site states: “Drinking water and
wastewater systems, local regulators, the states, and the Federal
government will face many challenges over the next 20 years as they try
to meet the nation's water infrastructure investment need. Innovative
responses are needed by both water systems, government authorities and
consumers to close the gap.”
Economic Development Administration
The U.S. Dept of Commerce's EDA has been appropriated nearly $204
million for FY '03. EDA will provide public works investments to support
the construction or rehabilitation of essential public infrastructure
and development facilities necessary to generate private sector jobs and
investment, including investments that support technology-led
development, redevelopment of brownfield sites, and eco-industrial
development. A detailed list of EDA reps in each market can be found at
www.eda.doc.gov.
Federal Highway Administration
The following assessment appears in FHWA's report to Congress, Chapter
7: Capital Investment Requirements — Highway and Bridge: “The average
annual cost to improve highways and bridges for the 20-year period
2001-2020 is projected to be $106.9 billion. This represents the
investment by all levels of government required to implement all
cost-beneficial improvements on highways and bridges. This level of
investment would address the existing backlog of highway ($271.7
billion) and bridge ($54.7 billion) deficiencies, as well as new
deficiencies as they arise during the 20-year period, when it is
cost-beneficial to do so.” |