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ASCE Attends National Conference of State Legislatures in Atlanta
August 27th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
A few weeks ago I went down to Atlanta, GA to help ASCE participate in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) annual Legislative Summit. The meeting is the largest gathering of state legislators held each year and was attended by nearly 5,000 people. One of the things I did there was to exhibit at the meeting with a booth that focused on the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. I, along with other ASCE staff was able to interact with legislators and legislative staff from all 50 states. A special thanks to ASCE members from the Georgia Section who volunteered at this meeting: Janille Smith Colin, Jeffrey Chui, Danielle Elkins, A.M.ASCE, Katherine Gurd, Rick Gurney, P.E., M.ASCE, Rebecca Shelton, P.E., M.ASCE, and Ray Wilke, P.E., M.ASCE. The exhibit hall was a very…interesting… place. Every group under the sun seems to have a presence and everyone is pushing their message out to state legislators. From the National Rifle Association to the American Association for Nude Recreation, The Beer Institute to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, if you are interested in an issue you can find someone to talk to you and educate you on it. Personally, I had multiple good conversations with state legislators about the condition on their state’s infrastructure and what they can do about it. It was a worthwhile event and I hope that people learned as much from me as I learned from others. NCSL next year is in Minneapolis. If you are in the area you should stop in!Senate Appropriations Committee Looking at Inland Waterways Funding
August 19th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Senate appropriators are taking a look at overhauling the way that the federal government collects fees for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. The committee is considering tossing out the current 20 cent diesel fuel tax, which brings in an estimated $170 million annually to pay for lock, dam, and dredging costs. As currently structured the Inland Waterways Trust Fund does not generate enough income from the fuel tax to pay for the growing needs, a situation that ASCE has raised with Congress during discussions related to the Water Resources Development Act. The Senate FY 14 Energy and Water Appropriations committee report proposes an alternative, modeled after the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which levies fees on barge operators based on the value of the cargo being transported. The Senate left a proposal to fix the inland waterways tax out of their version of WRDA, due to the constitutional requirement that tax bills originate in the House. The House has yet to introduce their version of WRDA, the Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA), however the bill is expected to be marked up by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at the end of September. ASCE graded the nation’s inland waterways with a grade of “D-” in the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, due to the fact that in many cases, the inland waterways system has not been updated since the 1950s. In fact, more than half of the locks are over 50 years old, while projects to repair and replace these aging locks and dredge channels take decades to approve and complete. ASCE believes that an increase in the waterways user fee is long overdue, and recommends that the current fee be increased to between six and nine cents a gallon, while also tying the fee to the consumer price index. While there is generally a negative outlook on Congressional productivity, it does not necessarily translate to the fate of WRDA. The National Journal‘s Billy House reported this week that WRDA should be, relative to other legislation, regarded optimistically http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/7-bills-that-could-actually-pass-20130812ASCE President: Our nation’s infrastructure depends on public and private investment to thrive
August 13th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
On August 5, 2013, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed that argued against the merits of public investment in infrastructure. The following is a response from ASCE President Greg DiLoreto: Our nation’s infrastructure depends on public and private investment to thrive Larry Schweikart and Burton Folsom’s editorial (Obama’s False History of Public Investment, Aug. 6, 2013, page A13) misses a critical point. While entrepreneurs can often drive infrastructure investment, we need both the private and public sectors to play key roles in building and maintaining America’s infrastructure. Our national highway system comprises just 4 percent of all U.S. roads, yet it revolutionized and created entire industries. Today, 40 percent of all highway traffic occurs on this system, 75 percent of heavy truck traffic and 90 percent of tourist traffic. Imagine Amazon or Coca-Cola unable to move goods easily across states. While much of this massive undertaking was planned and funded by the public sector, many private sector firms were hired to execute the work. This critical road system created jobs in the short-term and spurred long-term economic growth. Economic growth necessitates a well-functioning, well-connected infrastructure network. ASCE’s recent economic studies found that if the nation continues to invest at the same meager levels in infrastructure, we will see a drop of $3.1 trillion in GDP by 2020 due to the ripple effect deficient infrastructure has on our nation’s economy. Past generations recognized that infrastructure was essential to interstate commerce and a healthy economy. After World War II, Americans built the nation we know today by investing in their communities. Now that bill is coming due. We must modernize and maintain the system we have to keep America at the forefront in order to continue building a strong economic recovery. Gregory DiLoreto, P.E., P.L.S, D.WRE President, American Society of Civil EngineersShuster and Gibbs Announce Plans for House to Consider WRRDA
August 5th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
On Friday, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), along with Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-OH), revealed that the Committee will review and consider WRRDA (no, that is not a typo – see below) when Congress returns from recess in September. According to Reps. Shuster and Gibbs, the bill will be marked up shortly after Congress reconvenes September 10, and should hopefully be considered on the House floor in October. Though a draft of the bill is finished, it has not been publicly released as details are still being worked out. This has not stopped many Congressional leaders who have seen it from declaring their support for WRRDA. Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) are two of the more notable names that have thrown their support behind the legislation. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) aims to provide funding to many projects that will enhance and repair our nation’s waterway infrastructure, accelerate the study and review process required before a project can commence, and reduce red tape. According to ASCE’s Failure to Act studies, our nation’s waterways face a funding gap of almost $85 billion by 2020 that will result in $200 billion in losses by 2020, and over $2 trillion by 2040. The Senate passed its version of the WRDA bill on May 15. Until the full text of the House’s bill is released, it is unknown how the two versions stack up against each other. ASCE members should contact their Representatives in support of prompt consideration and passage of water resources legislation when the House returns in September.- During August, consider scheduling a Back Home Visit http://www.asce.org/Government-Relations/Key-Contact-Program/Back-Home-Visits-Materials/ with your Representative or look for Town Hall Meetings or other public appearances by your Representative. Visit ASCE’s Back Home Visits page http://www.asce.org/Government-Relations/Key-Contact-Program/Back-Home-Visits-Materials/ for tips and background materials to help you.
- Use ASCE’s Click & Connect with Congress advocacy website http://capwiz.com/asce/issues/alert/?alertid=62713246 to read background and write your Representative in support of water resources legislation.
Tags: infrastructure, water infrastructure, water resources development act
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House Appropriators Postpone Action on EPA Sending Bill to September
August 1st, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
After starting to write a spending bill for the Environmental Protection Agency for fiscal year 2014 this week, the House Appropriations Committee decided to delay final action on the controversial bill for more than a month. Committee members voted on several amendments this week and then recessed until September. “With the number of amendments pending, there’s no way we can finish this week,” said Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY). Congress is scheduled to go on recess Friday until after Labor Day. The committee did act on one amendment supported by ASCE. The amendment by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) would have restored funding cuts to the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) programs.
It would have increased the CWA SRF by $1.2 billion to $1.45 billion and the SDWA SRF by $559 million to $909 million for FY 2014—the levels enacted for FY 2013 before the March 2013 sequester.
The draft bill would reduce federal spending on wastewater treatment by 82 percent; the cuts to drinking-water infrastructure totaled 61 percent.
The amendment was defeated, 27-20, on a party-line vote.
Wasserman Schultz said her proposal would prevent cities and counties from suffering from inadequate finances for badly needed upgrades to their wastewater and drinking-water infrastructure. “It is simply unconscionable to leave local communities high and dry,” she said.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) urged the committee to defeat the Wasserman Schultz amendment. “The unmet need is about $700 billion,” he said, adding that it would take 300 years at present spending levels to rebuild all of America’s aging wastewater and drinking-water facilities.
“We’ve got to find a different way to fund it,” Simpson added. “This [amendment] doesn’t address this problem.”
Before the committee met, ASCE raised the alarm over the massive funding cuts in the bill that would virtually eliminate federal aid to wastewater and drinking-water treatment facilities nationally.
The Society recommended that the Committee reject outright the proposed appropriations bill for the Interior Department, EPA, and related agencies.
The 2013 ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, gave America’s wastewater and drinking-water systems a grade of D based on long-ignored investment needs in basic infrastructure.
The Report Card followed on a 2011 analysis commissioned by ASCE of the economic consequences of failing to invest in wastewater and drinking-water infrastructure.
The report, Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Water and Waste Treatment Infrastructure, concluded that the nation risks the loss of $416 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020 at current investment rates. American households face $59 billion in increased costs and U.S. businesses will see their costs increase by $147 billion by 2020. This could lead to the loss of 700,000 jobs, according to the ASCE analysis.
Meanwhile, the United States will need to invest $384 billion to improve the nation’s drinking-water infrastructure by 2030, according to EPA’s 2011 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment that was released earlier this year, http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/upload/epa816r13006.pdf.
In 2010, EPA reported that the total wastewater and stormwater management needs for the nation were $298.1 billion as of January 1, 2008. This amount included $192.2 billion for wastewater treatment plants, pipe repairs, and buying and installing new pipes; $63.6 billion for combined sewer overflow correction; and $42.3 billion for stormwater management. Small communities have documented needs of $22.7 billion.
Given the enormity of the problem, the committee’s proposed reductions in America’s wastewater and drinking-water infrastructure run the risk of endangering the nation’s economic strength and the health of its citizens.
I-35 W: Six Years After the Bridge Fell
August 1st, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
On August 1, 2007, the I-35 W span over the Mississippi River collapsed, killing 13 people, injuring 145, and severing a vital lifeline for many towns. Only 382 days later, the bridge had been replaced and was open to traffic once again. Six years after this tragedy, the question remains whether we have done enough to repair our crumbling infrastructure. Success stories like the rapid reconstruction of the I-35 bridge are widely touted, but isolated incidents are needed less than general trends toward improvement. In an analysis of the nation’s roads and bridges, 1 out of 9 is deemed “structurally deficient”, while in five individual states, more than 20 percent of bridges are rated as such. Since 2000, 22,711 bridges are no longer considered structurally deficient. While this is an improvement, there are concerns that fiscal realities may derail progress. Currently, the Highway Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent in September of next year. The HTF is the primary means by which many states fund infrastructure repair and replacement projects. The I-35 replacement was constructed so quickly in large part due to near-continuous work for 11 months. Without adequate funding for construction projects, the time for completion will lengthen, driving up costs and the impacts on drivers. Bridges are indispensable parts of our infrastructure system. Without safe, reliable, and efficient transportation, we will see the toll taken on the prices of goods and costs to ourselves and others. The average age of the 600,000 bridges in this nation is 42 years, with an estimated $76 billion in needs to address the problems. ASCE’s Failure to Act report on the costs of poor infrastructure shows that by 2020, deficient bridges and pavement will cost Americans 58 billion. If left untended, those costs will jump to $651 billion by 2040. So as we approach the 6th anniversary of the terrible happenings on the I-35 W bridge, foremost in our mind should be the state of our infrastructure and if we are really doing enough to maintain our bridges. Individual instances of rapid repair and replacement are necessary, but insufficient. We must continue to fund the Highway Trust Fund and provide governments at all levels the tools they need to keep our infrastructure standing.Obama Proposes Plan for Infrastructure Funding
July 30th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
President Obama today gave another in his series of economic speeches at an Amazon distribution center in Tennessee to propose a cut in corporate tax rates in return for a commitment from Republicans to invest more in programs spurring middle-class jobs.
As stewards of our nation’s infrastructure, the ASCE is encouraged by President Obama’s proposal to direct money from a corporate tax overhaul to help fund America’s infrastructure projects. However, while emphasizing the need to reduce the backlog of deferred maintenance on highways, bridges, transit systems, and airports nationwide is an important message to come from the President, the message alone will not fix the nation’s infrastructure problems.
ASCE President, Gregory E. DiLoreto, P.E., P.L.S, D.WRE, released the following statement in response to the President Obama’s remarks:
“As stewards of our nation’s infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers applauds President Obama’s proposal to direct money from a corporate tax overhaul to help fund America’s infrastructure projects, with an emphasis on reducing the backlog of deferred maintenance on highways, bridges, transit systems, and airports nationwide. Infrastructure is the foundation of our communities, and without it, our businesses, schools, and our everyday lives suffer.
“The time to act is now. It’s critical that the administration and congressional leaders put forth a clear, actionable road map with long-term funding solutions. Leaders from all parties must come together to invest in America’s future to assure we have a strong foundation for an ever-changing 21st century economy.
“The President has said on more than one occasion that we have an ‘aging infrastructure badly in need of repair.’ Despite this statement, little has been done since the president announced his ‘Fix-It-First’ plan to rebuild America in his State of the Union address earlier this year. Simply put, we must invest in our roads, bridges, ports, and water systems. This will help us build a 21st Century America to compete in an ever-changing global economy.
“In ASCE’s 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s infrastructure across 16 sectors, the nation’s cumulative GPA for infrastructure received a grade of D+. The 2013 Report Card estimates total investment needs at $3.6 trillion by 2020 across all 16 sectors, leaving a funding shortfall of $1.6 trillion based on current funding levels.
“Private investment along with political leadership can help our nation grow and create much needed jobs. First class roads, bridges, and ports will lead to first class jobs, homes, and lives for American families. Yet rebuilding our nation’s roads, bridges, and water systems is not enough. We must have long-term plans for maintenance and repair, sustainable funding mechanisms that assure reliability, and the political leadership to invest in our own communities.”
Chairman Boxer Holds Press Conference on Highway Trust Fund
July 26th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Thursday morning, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer held a press conference (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoGpdW2jlo#t=15m27s) with members of the transportation and infrastructure community to highlight the impending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). Rob Victor, Chairman of ASCE’s Committee for America’s Infrastructure, spoke along with Senator Boxer and other industry representatives about the declining condition of our infrastructure and the consequences of inaction. At the press conference were executives from small, family-owned business and large associations on behalf of hundreds of thousands of members, representing the breadth of groups affected. Discussing the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, Rob Victor emphasized that current funding projections will cost our economy more than 876,000 jobs and individual families over $1,000 per household every year. This includes not only damages directly related to crumbling infrastructure like more frequent car repairs, but also increased cost of living as shipping prices rise, groceries become more expensive, and the cost of commodities jump as companies seek to account for higher costs. Without proper infrastructure funding, our GDP will be suppressed by $897 billion by the year 2020. Senator Boxer expressed her determination to fix the HTF before it is too late. “I don’t want to wait until, you know, midnight. I want to get ready for this. It’s coming in September 2014”. Saying that she was open to many options that could either supplant or complement the gas tax, Senator Boxer however conceded that there was little support on the Hill for a VMT system. After the press conference, chairs of the three relevant Senate committees sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to other Senate members, arguing that 3 million jobs would be at risk if Congress fails to find stable funding for the highway trust fund. The letter from Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Commerce Committee John Rockefeller (D-WV), and Chairman of the Banking Committee Tim Johnson (D-SD) was sent out along with a state by state breakdown of how many jobs would be lost if the Highway Trust Fund is allowed to go bankrupt. The Highway Trust Fund is expected to be exhausted in September of next year. Surface transportation makes up the largest portion of the $1.7 trillion investment gap. If the HTF is allowed to go unfunded, the costs to our economy and families will only accumulate faster.Can-Do States Who Tackle Infrastructure Are Just What the U.S. Economy Needs
July 24th, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Sometimes you just have to do it yourself. That’s the message some states seem to be sending as federal infrastructure bills like the Water Resources Development Act keep getting sidelined by Congress or only seeing short-term efforts like the MAP-21 Transportation Reauthorization. The Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings has called these states that have decidedly put forward a structure or action plan for infrastructure “Can-Do States” and highlighted these states’ efforts at a recent event. These “Can-Do States” have formed new structures that operate in ways that improve their state’s access to capital or work across departments to streamline and prioritize investments. What are these states doing differently? Start by looking at these models – the government-owned business enterprise model like Colorado’s High Performance Transportation Enterprise , or the offices for public private partnerships like Virginia that work to put together infrastructure financing deals, or initiatives like the NY Works Task Force that are used to streamline and strategically allocate New York’s capital investment dollars. According to a new report by McKinsey, infrastructure investment is one of five big “game changers” that could reboot the U.S. economy to quickly create jobs and deliver a substantial boost to GDP by 2020. They believe that increasing the U.S. annual infrastructure investment by one percentage point of GDP could erase the negative side effects of delayed maintenance, and create up to 1.8 million jobs by 2020. With states already taking the lead on reworking their infrastructure strategies to better select, deliver, and operate like McKinsey’s advising, that 1% of GDP investment could create $600 billion annually by 2030. Infrastructure may be just what every state and the whole U.S. economy needs to really grow again. What could your state do to get more infrastructure investment done with the same budget?Tags: career development, congress, economics, infrastructure, transportation
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Highway Trust Fund: Running on Empty
July 23rd, 2013 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
…..Tuesday morning, the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit met to discuss the status of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and the effects its impending insolvency would have on transportation projects nationwide. As it stands, the HTF receives almost 90% of its revenue from taxes on motor fuels. As CAFE standards increase the number of fuel-efficient vehicles on our roadways, less gasoline is purchased and revenue going into the HTF decreases. Making the problem worse is the trend of people moving into cities where personal cars are being abandoned in favor of more practical mass transit, walking, or bicycles. …..Witnesses Polly Trottenberg, Undersecretary for Policy at the USDOT, and Kim Cawley of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provided a number of proposals to keep the HTF solvent beyond 2015 when it is anticipated to be unable to pay its bills. Mr. Cawley reported that the HTF will need to increase gas taxes by 10 cents per gallon, receive a $15 billion transfer from General Funds, and cut spending, or some combination of all three in order to continue. Ms. Trottenberg also noted that with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, there are hundreds of billions of dollars that can be diverted into transportation infrastructure projects instead. Especially given the low interest rates, now is a good time to invest, she said. …..If the Trust Fund does not receive sufficient revenue to fulfill all its obligations to grantees, states will likely face cuts and delays in crucial projects. Several states depend heavily on federal contributions for their transportation and infrastructure project budgets. In many rural or smaller states, federal money can make up over half of a state’s annual budget. With revenues declining, legislators at all levels of government are looking to MAP 21’s streamlining initiatives to reduce completion times and lower costs as part of a many-pronged solution to the crisis. Whatever the solution is, the Highway Trust Fund is in serious need of a long-term fix, not just “another Band-Aid”. …..ASCE also submitted testimony for consideration to the Subcommittee, which may be found here: http://www.asce.org/uploadedFiles/Government_Relations/Testimony_and_Correspondence/2012/ASCE%20Statement%20on%20the%20Status%20of%20the%20HTF%20072313.pdf
