The premier event of the year for contractors involved in highway, bridge and utility construction is scheduled for November 10-12, 2011 in the Palm Springs Valley of California. The Highway and Utilities Contractors Issues Meeting will address the many issues that will be impacting your business over the next year and in years to come.

On July 12, the House Appropriations Committee approved its Interior & Environment Appropriations legislation, which includes dollar allocations for fiscal 2012. Following on April’s fiscal 2011 budget agreement, the Environmental Protection Agency’s State Revolving Fund programs were again a major target. The whole agency saw a $1.53 billion, or 18 percent cut, from current spending and much of that would come at the expense of clean water programs. The bill would fund the Clean Water SRF at $689 million, down from $1.5 billion in FY2011 and $2.1 billion in FY10. The Drinking Water SRF would be funded at $829 million, down from $965 million in FY2011 and $1.4 billion in FY2010. Total cuts to the SRF programs would be $967 million from FY2011 numbers, bringing the SRFs back to FY2008 levels. Now that the full Committee has approved the legislation, it moves to the full House for consideration and amendments.

The premier event of the year for contractors involved in highway, bridge and utility construction is scheduled for November 10-12, 2011 in the Palm Springs Valley of California. The Highway and Utilities Contractors Issues Meeting will address the many issues that will be impacting your business over the next year and in years to come.

The House passed legislation this week designed to streamline the permitting process for oil and gas drilling in federal waters off Alaska. The legislation, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011, requires the Environmental Protection Agency to take final action on a permit application in six months or less, and it would limit opponents’ ability to appeal permits.

The AGC-sponsored Common Ground Alliance held the final Education and Marketing Committee meeting before production of its new damage prevention process video commences next week.

AGC member and Municipal & Utilities Division Chair Mike Murphy (Turner Murphy Company, Rock Hill, S.C.) testified in favor of repealing the 3 percent withholding at a hearing before the Contracting and Workforce Subcommittee of the House Small Business Committee.

Rep. Pascrell (right) demonstrates the consequences of deferred water infrastructure maintenance with Sen. Menendez (left) and N.J. State Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (center). The AGC-supported Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investment Act of 2011 was recently introduced in the House and Senate. It would remove water and wastewater from under the private activity bond (PAB) volume cap, making it easier for up to $5 billion to be invested in water infrastructure annually.

This week legislation was introduced in the House and Senate that would remove water and wastewater from under the private activity bond volume cap, making it easier for up to $5 billion to be invested in water infrastructure annually.

LaHood Praises AGC as a Valuable Partner Secretary of the Department of Transportation Ray LaHood partnered with AGC to hold a press conference on the importance of underground damage prevention. This follows on the heels of an event in March where the Secretary kicked off National Safe Digging Month at CONEXPO-CON/AGG.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood attended AGC’s 92nd Annual Convention in Las Vegas to discuss pipeline safety and federal investment in transportation infrastructure.