This week, AGC met with staff from the National Economic Council, which is primarily responsible for taking ideas and initiatives and translating them into policy for the administration. The primary focus of the meeting was the proposed National Clean Water Trust Fund (CWTF) and the potential role it could play in the administration’s upcoming policy for the Join Select Deficit Reduction Committee’s work to reduce the deficit.

On Sept. 7, Representative Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) introduced the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011. This bill would reauthorize the previous pipelines law, the 2006 Pipeline Integrity, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act, which expired on Sept. 30, 2010. The bill would strengthen pipeline safety programs, improve the nation’s pipeline network, and ensure the regulatory certainty in pipelines transportation necessary to create jobs.

Today, on 8/11, AGC joins the rest of the underground damage prevention community to remind everyone that is involved in an excavation project to follow the key steps to safe digging and damage prevention - dialing 811. Homeowner, landscapers, and other casual excavators must join professional excavation contractors in dialing 811 before any digging project.

The House Appropriations Committee approved its Interior/Environment Appropriations legislation, which includes dollar allocations for FY2012. Following on April’s FY2011 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 with nearly two-thirds cut from the 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 FY2010. 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.

The bill to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), which was introduced in the Senate in February by Sen Lautenberg (D-NJ), currently has 5 cosponsors and passed out of committee in mid/late June. It is awaiting action on the Senate floor, though time for it has yet to be scheduled. The bill does a few things of interest to excavators:

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.