Advocacy

EPA is announcing the availability of up to $10 million in "Climate Showcase Communities" grants for local and tribal governments to establish and implement climate change initiatives. EPA requests proposals which create replicable models of sustainable community action, generate cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions, and improve the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a community.

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How many grants will be awarded?

The agency expects to award a total of approximately 30 cooperative agreements ranging from approximately $100,000 to $500,000.

Approximately 5% of the funds ($500,000) are set-aside for tribal governments. EPA expects to award 1-3 grants under the tribal set aside.

Who is eligible for the grant program?

Eligibility for the program includes local governments (a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government), federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and inter-tribal consortia.

Are applicants required to provide matching funds?

A 50% cost-match or cost-share is required for this program with the exception of tribal governments and intertribal consortia which are exempt from matching requirements. The cost share and/or match can be in the form of cash or as in-kind contributions, such as use of volunteers and/or donated time, equipment, expertise, etc.

What is the application deadline?

Proposals are due by July 22, 2009, at 4:00 p.m. EDT. An optional notice of intent to apply is requested by July 1, 2009.

Who will administer the grant program?

The Grant program is administered by EPA's Local Climate and Energy Program, an initiative to assist local and tribal governments to identify, implement, and track policies and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions within their operations and surrounding communities.

What resources will be available to grant recipients?

Over the course of the grant program, EPA will offer peer exchange, trainings, and technical support to grant recipients. Each grant recipient will be profiled online and in EPA materials. EPA will share lessons learned from the grant program with communities across the nation.

For more information:

http://epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/state-and-local/showcase.html

To view the RFA:

http://www.epa.gov/air/grants/09-08.pdf

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The U.S. EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is pleased to provide its Partners and other interested parties with information about an upcoming EPA webcast:
Q & A on Climate Showcase Communities Grant

July 8, 2009 – 2:00 PM (EDT)

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Next week, EPA is hosting a webcast to review the Climate Showcase Communities Grant and answer questions from potential applicants. EPA can not provide input about specific projects on the call, rather, the Q & A will be to answer questions about the federal grant application process or to clarify items in the Request for Applications.

The Climate Showcase Communities grant program aims to create replicable models of sustainable community action that generate cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions while improving the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a community. Eligibility for the program includes local governments (e.g., a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments), federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and inter-tribal consortia.

This webcast will be held on July 8, 2009 from 2:00 - 3:00 PM (EDT). To register for the webcast, visit the registration page. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/940056931

You will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions for participating after submitting your registration.
Following a brief presentation, participants in the webcast will be able to submit questions in writing which will be answered by EPA representatives. The webcast will not be recorded, but all questions submitted during the webcast will be answered and posted online.

Before participating in the webcast, you may want to read the Request for Applications and the questions which have already been answered about the grant.
For more information about the grant, visit the Clean Energy Web site.
You can also access a draft section of EPA's Clean Energy Strategies for Local Governments guide that discusses landfill methane utilization.

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Mutual Aid and Assistance in the Water Sector: Please join WaterISAC and representatives from US EPA and the California Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN) for an exciting webinar about mutual aid and assistance in the water sector.
The water sector has been actively developing Water and Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs) since 2006, and there are currently 43 WARNs covering 42 states and the National Capital Region. Public and private drinking water and wastewater systems of any size can participate in a WARN.

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This webinar will discuss:
The history of the WARN program;
Historical examples of WARN success stories; Tools, training and technical assistance available to support a more robust WARN; and The future of WARNs in an all-hazards security environment.

This webinar will take place on August 4th at 2:30 PM Eastern Time.
Please register using the following link https://portal.waterisac.org/clearspace_community/pages/newsevents.jspa.

To sign up, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "Event Sign Up".

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The latest edition of the Clean Water News is now available.

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click here to access the News: http://archive.nacwa.org/nn/cwex_june2009.htm

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House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) June 18th released a blueprint outlining a proposal for a six-year, $500 billion federal surface transportation authorization to succeed the $286.4 billion SAFETEA-LU, which expires the end of September.

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House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) today released a blueprint outlining his proposal for a six-year, $500 billion federal surface transportation authorization to succeed the $286.4 billion SAFETEA-LU, which expires the end of September.

The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009’s Blueprint for Investment and Reform describes how SAFETEA-LU’s successor will “transform federal surface transportation from an amalgamation of prescriptive programs to a performance-based framework for intermodal transportation development.”

It is designed to achieve the following objectives: reduce fatalities and injuries; reduce congestion; provide transportation choices; limit adverse effects of transportation on the environment; and promote public health and livability in communities.

Highlights of the bill include:

• Provides $450 billion for highways and transit, including $337.4 billion for highway programs and $99.8 billion for public transportation programs;
• Within the $450 billion investment, the Act provides $50 billion for Metropolitan Mobility and Access to unlock metropolitan congestion and $25 billion for Projects of National Significance to enhance U.S. global competitiveness by increasing the focus on goods movement and freight mobility;
• In addition to the $450 billion investment, the Act provides $50 billion over six years to develop 11 authorized high-speed rail corridors linking major metropolitan regions in the United States.
• Doubles the investment in highway and motor carrier safety to $12.6 billion;
• Redefines the Federal role and restructures Federal surface transportation by consolidating or terminating more than 75 programs;
• Consolidates the majority of highway funding in four, core formula categories designed to bring highway and bridge systems to a state of good repair; improve highway safety; develop new and improved capacity; and reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality;
• Focuses the majority of transit funding in four core categories to bring urban and rural public transit systems to a state of good repair; provide specific funding to restore transit rail systems; provide mobility and access to transit-dependent individuals; and plan, design, and construct new transit lines and intermodal facilities;
• Directs Federal highway safety investments to specific activities demonstrated to reduce fatalities and injuries on roads;
• Establishes new initiatives to address the crippling congestion in major metropolitan regions, and eliminate bottlenecks in freight transportation;
• Creates a National Transportation Strategic Plan, based on long-range highway, transit, and rail plans developed by States and metropolitan regions, to develop intermodal connectivity of the nation’s transportation system and identify projects of national significance;
• Reforms the U.S. Department of Transportation to require intermodal planning and decision-making; ensure that projects are planned and completed in a timely manner; and ensure that DOT programs advance the livability of communities;
• Requires States and local governments to establish transportation plans with specific performance standards; measure their progress annually in meeting these standards; and periodically adjust their plans as necessary to achieve specific objectives;
• Improves the project delivery process by eliminating duplication in documentation and procedures;
• Establishes a new program to finance planning, design, and construction of high-speed rail;
• Creates a National Infrastructure Bank to better leverage limited transportation dollars.

The bill is expected to be introduced next week and considered by the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee. The bill will not include financing provisions that will determine how to pay for the investment. These will be drafted by the House Ways and Means Committee and added later. Oberstar has an ambitious timeline for the bill, with a goal of having it to the House floor before the start of the month-long August recess. House leadership has questioned this due to a crowded legislative calendar.

Yesterday, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the Obama Administration would seek an 18-month authorization extension which would include a fix for the Federal Highway Trust Fund, forecast to require an infusion of $5 billion to $7 billion to meet its commitments this fiscal year. Oberstar and House T&I Committee Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL) oppose the extension. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer endorsed the proposal.

APWA's SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization Task Force, Transportation and Government Affairs Committees are reviewing the Oberstar blueprint, which is posted on APWA's surface transportation authorization site, http://reinvestintransportation.apwa.net

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The US Department of Transportation published a revised notice of funding availability for the $1.5 billion TIGER Discretionary Grant program in the June 17th Federal Register. Under this program, funds will be awarded to State and local governments who submit applications for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure, including highway or bridge projects, public transportation projects, passenger and freight rail, and port infrastructure investments. Applications for TIGER discretionary grants must be submitted by September 15, 2009, from state and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities, MPOs and others. The Federal Register notice revises the interim notice published on May 18, and clarifies that the Department is no longer considering comments on the proposed selection criteria and guidance for awarding TIGER Discretionary Grants. The revised notice is the operative notice of funding availability for the TIGER Discretionary Grants program. The June 17th Federal Register notice is available at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-14262.pdf.

Additional information about the program is available at: http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/.

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Additional information about the program is available at: http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/.

Summary of Changes
The revised Federal Register notice makes the following substantive changes to the notice published on May 18 (please read the notice for a complete description of these changes):

„X provides additional guidance for evaluating a project’s costs and benefits; specifically, the notice (i) provides a discount rate for discounting future benefits and costs to present values, (ii) identifies guidance on the value of time and statistical lives, (iii) provides sources of information on the social benefits of reducing crash costs, pollutant emissions and other externalities, (iv) provides economic values for various benefits, including the cost of a metric ton of carbon emissions, and (v) clarifies that applicants should present a project’s net benefits, in addition to the project’s benefit-cost ratio;
„X clarifies that MPOs are eligible grant recipients;
„X clarifies that for this program “Economically Distressed Areas” is not limited to counties, but could include municipalities;
„X includes additional guidance about which projects must be included in State or local planning documents to demonstrate readiness to proceed;
„X clarifies that projects that have negative effects on any of the selection criteria are less likely to receive grant funds;
„X clarifies that the Economic Competitiveness criterion targets investments that facilitate net new private sector expansion, hiring, or growth, rather than those that result only in moving existing jobs or economic activity to different locations;
„X clarifies that while applications may be submitted prior to the September 15 deadline, the Department will not evaluate applications or announce projects selected to receive TIGER Discretionary Grants until after the September 15 deadline;
„X requests that applicants include certain information on the first page of their applications;
„X clarifies that recipients of TIGER Discretionary Grants and their first-tier sub-awardees are required to have a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and a current registration in the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) prior to award of a TIGER Discretionary Grant;
„X includes requirements guiding the Department’s communications with registered lobbyists which were specified in the memorandum from the President of the United States dated March 20, 2009; and
„X clarifies that the TDD number is provided for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

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House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) will release a white paper on plans for the next federal surface transportation authorization tomorrow morning at a news conference in Washington, DC.

The 100-page blueprint will outline the bill’s policies and principles and is not expected to include funding levels or financing provisions, which will be drafted by the House Ways and Means Committee. Oberstar says he supports an authorization totaling between $400 billion and $450 billion.

A bill is expected to be introduced next week and considered without financing provisions by the T&I Committee’s Highways and Transit Subcommittee. From there, the bill is expected to be considered by the T&I Committee after the July 4th recess, which ends July 6th, and brought to the House floor before the start of the month-long August recess. The Ways and Means Committee intends to hold hearings on financing issues in the coming weeks.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the lead Committee in the Senate, is working on its bill. Three other Senate Committees have jurisdiction: Finance Committee; Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. The Senate is expected to proceed after the House. The Administration has been working on its principles but has not released them. The current authorization, the $286.4 billion SAFETEA-LU, expires September 30.

Information about APWA’s federal surface transportation authorization priorities is posted at http://reinvestintransportation.apwa.net/

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The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the availability of $1.5 billion in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grants for capital investment in surface transportation projects. The program was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law in February. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas.

Applications for TIGER discretionary grants must be submitted to US Department of Transportation (USDOT) by September 15, 2009 from state and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and others. Comments on the criteria must be received by June 1, 2009.

The grants can range from $20 million up to $300 million to support high impact transportation projects. USDOT can waive the minimum grant requirement for beneficial projects in smaller cities, regions or states. The department will require rigorous economic justifications for projects over $100 million, and to ensure responsible spending, the department will require all fund recipients to report on their activities on a routine basis.

The solicitation published in the May 18th Federal Register provides clear criteria for the department to make merit-based decisions on the new discretionary program. Primary selection criteria include contributing to the medium- to long-term economic competitiveness of the nation, improving the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems, improving the quality of living and working environments through livable communities, improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the safety of U.S. transportation facilities.

The Department will also give priority to projects that are expected to quickly create and preserve jobs and stimulate rapid increases in economic activity, especially projects that will benefit economically distressed areas.

To view the Federal Register, please visit http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a090518c.html. Look under Transportation Department, Notices: funding Availability; Request for Comments on Grant Criteria; Supplemental Discretionary Grants for Capital Investments in Surface Transportation Infrastructure.

Additional information is also posted on APWA’s economic recovery blog: http://apwarecoveryupdates.blogspot.com/.

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On February 17, President Barack Obama signed into law the $789 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
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On February 17, President Barack Obama signed into law the $789 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On February 13, after a relatively short Conference Committee, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate cleared the bill for the President’s signature. The bill provides investments in infrastructure, health, education and energy, as well as more than $280 billion in tax cuts. The legislation also contains no earmarks and establishes oversight and accountability mechanisms. The following is an overview of several key funding highlights included in the bill:

Transportation

Transportation $1.5 billion for an intermodal discretionary grant program
Highways $27.5 billion
Transit $8.4 billion
Rail $9.3 billion (including $1.3 billion for Amtrak)
Airports $1.1 billion for the Airport Improvement Program

Environment and Water

$4 billion Clean Water State Revolving Fund
$2 billion Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund
$4.6 US Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Projects
$1 billion US Bureau of Reclamation Rural Water Projects
$1.38 billion Rural Water & Waste Disposal Program
$6 billion for Superfund
$1 billion for Brownfields
$3.2 billion for Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program
$3 billion for Diesel Emission Reduction Act Grants

For more information, please visit APWA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Information and Resources page. To view go to: http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/resources.asp

Another resource is www.recovery.gov , which features information on how the Act is working, accountability and up-to-date data on the expenditure of funds.

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On Tuesday, February 10, the United States Senate passed an $838 billion economic recovery bill (H.R.1), The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, by a 61-37 vote.
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On Tuesday, February 10, the United States Senate passed an $838 billion economic recovery bill (H.R.1), The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, by a 61-37 vote. The Senate approved the legislation after adopting a crucial compromise amendment crafted by the only Republicans to vote in favor of the stimulus bill, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Arlen Specter (R-PA). The amendment slashed $108 billion from the legislation which had at one point ballooned to over $900 billion.

Funding levels for transportation, infrastructure and water resources remained largely unchanged in the reworked legislation. The House passed its own $819 billion version on January 28, by a 244-188 vote. The following are funding highlights for key infrastructure programs in both bills:

HOUSE
• $30 billion for highways
• $12 billion for transit
• $6 billion for Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• $2 billion for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

SENATE
• $27 billion for highways
• $8.4 billion for transit
• $4 billion for Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• $2 billion for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

The next step in the process will be for House and Senate negotiators to meet and reconcile the differences between the two bills. At press time it was still unclear whether a formal conference committee would take place.

With a self-imposed deadline of February 16, for sending a final bill to be signed by the President, House and Senate negotiators have a lot of work ahead of them to reach an agreement. The negotiation process must ensure that any changes maintain the support of at least 60 Senate votes for final approval before the bill can be cleared for the President’s signature.

APWA will continue to monitor this legislation. For more information and updates you can visit: http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/resources.asp and look under “Economic Recovery Information.”

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On January 23, the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance released highlights of their version of an economic recovery package, S.1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Like the House bill, H.R. 1, the Senate legislation totals $825 billion.

The Senate bill allocates a total of $140 billion for Infrastructure and Science. Highlights of the infrastructure component include $27 billion for highways; $1.3 billion for aviation; and $6 billion for both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The House version of the bill allocates $90 billion in their infrastructure component. $30 billion is set aside for highways; $3 billion for aviation; $6 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; and $2 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus (D-MT) unveiled an original Chairman’s Mark -- the initial bill set out by the chairman for debate -- that included tax-cutting provisions for the recovery legislation. These provisions mirror the finance portion of its counterpart in the House. Baucus’ Mark includes $275 billion in tax cuts and investments. Together, the spending proposals (which include the infrastructure component) in the Senate Appropriations bill and the tax cuts in the Finance Committee measure, make up the Senate’s version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Senate Committees are expected to meet this week to debate and vote on their version of the economic recovery bill. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill Wednesday, January 28 and debate by the full Senate on the bill could be held as early as February 3. House and Senate negotiators would then meet to work out the differences in their respective bills.

APWA will continue to monitor this legislation. For updates and more information please visit APWA’s Advocacy page at: http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/
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On January 15, House Democrats along with President-elect Barack Obama’s economic team, revealed their $825 billion two-year economic recovery plan.
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On January 15, House Democrats along with President-elect Barack Obama’s economic team, revealed their $825 billion two-year economic recovery plan. According to a press statement released by the House Committee on Appropriations, this package is the first step in an effort to create and save millions of jobs and jumpstart the economy. The proposed package contains $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in targeted investments. These efforts include infrastructure, clean energy, education and lowering healthcare costs to name a few. The plan calls for $90 billion in infrastructure investment, which would include:

Modernizing Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways
• $30 billion for highway construction;
• $31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure with investments that lead to long term energy cost savings;
• $19 billion for clean water, flood control, and environmental restoration investments;
• $10 billion for transit and rail to reduce traffic congestion and gas consumption:
• $3 billion for airport improvement projects.

Committee markups of the bill are expected the week of January 19. Separate legislation is being prepared in the Senate. Congressional leaders aim to have a bill to President-Elect by mid February.

APWA has posted a Legislative Alert where you can write to your members of Congress and urge them to include infrastructure investment in the recovery plan. To view the alert, go to: http://capwiz.com/apwa/home/.

For more information and to view the complete Appropriations Committee summary go to: http://www.apwa.net/DR/index.asp?ID=721.

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On January 8, President-Elect Barack Obama presented his case for urgent action to address the nation’s economic crisis with a plan that could total $775 billion in government spending and tax cuts.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan would include investments in infrastructure as a major focal point. Repairing crumbling roads, bridges and other back-logged worthy infrastructure projects will help create jobs and strengthen the economy.

While Obama did not unveil the specifics of the plan, he said his staff and members of Congress were continuing to work out the final size of the proposal and its details. Congressional leaders have said they now expect the bill to be ready by mid-February. APWA will continue to monitor the progress of an economic recovery package. For updates and additional information, please visit http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/

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APWA President Noel Thompson sent letters to Congressional Leadership and President-Elect Obama December 19, urging swift passage of an economic recovery package that focuses federal investment in local ready-to-go infrastructure projects. Although Congressional leaders have yet to set a funding level, they are considering levels in the range of $600 billion or more. The legislation is expected to be taken up as early as the week of January 5th when the 111th Congress convenes.

In the letters, President Thompson referred to APWA’s Ready-To-Go survey which identified more than 3,600 local projects, totaling more than $15 billion in value, which are ready to go within 90 days but lack funding to proceed. Funding these projects, just a sample of the total need, would generate over 500,000 jobs.

For more information and to view copies of the letters, go to: http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/resources.asp
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A survey by the American Public Works Association identified more than 3,600 unfunded local public works infrastructure projects totaling more than $15 billion that are ready to go within 90 days to provide a stimulative effect on the economy if funded by a federal economic recovery package under consideration by Congress. Funding these projects, just a sample of the identified local need, would generate approximately 532,794 jobs.

The survey of APWA members identified road widening, paving, traffic light and signal repair work, highway intersection improvements, storm drain pipe realignments, pumping station improvements, sewer line replacements, treatment plant upgrades, water valve replacement, pedestrian underpass safety improvements and basic sidewalk repair projects that are ready to proceed except for the lack of necessary funding.

APWA is calling on Congress and the Administration to approve an economic recovery package which includes a robust infrastructure investment component. APWA President Noel Thompson submitted testimony for hearings held in October and November by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee and sent letters to the President and Congressional leadership. The testimony and letters make the case that funding ready-to-go infrastructure projects through a national economic recovery program will create jobs, stimulate economic recovery and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth.

To view APWA's Chart of Ready to go Local Projects, click here: http://www.apwa.net/documents/advocacy/Congressional%20Testimony/Unfunded%20PW%20Projects%20and%20Funds%20Needed%20by%20State.pdf

For more information please contact Jim Fahey at jfahey@apwa.net.

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On Election Day, 153 measures in 35 states appeared on ballots across America. Of the 59 citizen petition initiatives, voters approved 24 (5 were undecided at press time). Of the 84 measures referred by the state legislatures, voters approved 59 (2 were undecided at press time).

Infrastructure related initiatives received generally strong support from voters. Transportation related initiatives, for example alone totaled over $71 billion, with measures that included improvements to roads, bridges, rail and public transportation. Energy and the environment were also popular, with around a dozen measures. States like Maine, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania all approved the environmental initiatives on their ballots. These included water projects, stormwater control, environmental revitalization and water sewer improvements.

Highlighted below are several infrastructure-related state and city initiatives and how they fared.

Alaska:
Bonds for Transportation Projects: Voters in Alaska approved the sale of up to $315 million in bonds to pay for more than two dozen transportation projects.

Arkansas:
Arkansas Water, Waste Disposal, and Pollution Abatement Facilities Financing Act of 2007: Voters approved Question 1, a measure allowing the Natural Resources Commission to authorize up to $300 million in bonds for financing the development of water, waste disposal and water pollution control.

California:
Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act: Voters approved Proposition 1A, $9.95 billion in bonds that would finance a 220 mph electric high-speed train system.

Colorado:
Use of Severance Tax Revenue for Highways: Voters failed to approve Amendment 52, which proposed amending the Colorado Constitution to require the State Legislature to spend a portion of state severance tax collection on highway projects.

Maine:
Bonds for Water Projects: Voters in Maine approved a $3.4 million bond issue to support drinking water programs and construction of wastewater treatment facilities.

Missouri:
Grants and Loans for Storm Water Control: Voters approved Constitutional Amendment 4, which amends the Missouri Constitution to change the provisions relating to the financing of stormwater control projects. The measure also limits funding to only public water and sewer districts.

Ohio:
Bonds to Continue the Clean Ohio Program for Environmental Revitalization and Conservation: Voters in Ohio approved Issue 2 which allows the state to issue bonds to pay for the conservation of natural open spaces and the environmental revitalization of other lands.

Pennsylvania:
Water and Sewer Improvements Bond Referendum: Voters approved a measure to allow the state to borrow $400 million to repair, improve, expand and construct drinking water, stormwater and wastewater treatment systems.

Rhode Island:
Transportation Bonds: Voters in Rhode Island approved the issuance of $87 million in bonds to provide funds to the Department of Transportation for improvements to the state’s highways, roads and bridges.

Washington:
Transportation Initiative: Washington voters failed to approve Initiative 985, which would have opened carpool lanes and diverted a slice of state automobile sales tax toward traffic-relief projects.

Seattle, WA:
Sound Transit Proposition 1: Voters in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties approved Proposition 1, a $17.9 billion plan to stretch light rail systems by 34 miles into the Seattle suburbs. To pay for this, the sales tax would increase a nickel per $10 purchase.

Los Angeles, CA
Traffic Relief. Rail Extensions. Reduce Foreign Oil Dependence: Voters approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax increase that will provide resources to finance new transportation projects. Over 30 years, it is projected to generate $40 billion.

Arlington, VA
Water Pollution Control Plant: Arlington residents voted and approved up to $50 million in bonds to finance the cost of improving and expanding Arlington County’s Water Pollution Control Plant.

Kansas City, MO
Light Rail Sales Tax: Kansas City voters failed to approve a sales tax that would have been used to fund a light rail passenger system.

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On October 29, APWA President Noel Thompson submitted testimony to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The hearing, entitled Investing in Infrastructure: The Road to Recovery was held in order to examine how infrastructure investment contributes to job creation and economic recovery. Three panels and a total of nineteen witnesses, including New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and Maryland Transportation Secretary John Porcari, were called to testify during the nearly seven hour hearing.

In his testimony submitted for the record, President Thompson encouraged a robust economic recovery package with a strong emphasis on infrastructure investment, as a way to boost the economy and repair our nation’s deteriorating infrastructure. President Thompson also urged the committee to consider the billions of dollars of backlogged infrastructure projects that are ready to go but lack funding. Targeting projects that have been approved, yet remain unfunded, such as road resurfacing, bridge repair and water treatment facility upgrades will create jobs, generate immediate economic activity and spur a multiplier effect.

To view a copy of President Thompson’s testimony go to: http://www.apwa.net/Documents/Advocacy/Congressional%20Testimony/APWATandIInfrastructureInvestmentStatement.pdf
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On Friday, the House of Representatives approved a $60.7 billion economic stimulus package by a 264-158 vote. The legislation HR 7110, also known as The Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act, includes approximately $36.9 billion for infrastructure funding. Highlights of the infrastructure provisions include:

Transportation

• $12.8 billion for roads and bridges
• $3.6 billion for transit
• $6 million for an airport investments
• 500 million for AMTRAK

Water Infrastructure

• $6.5 billion for the EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• $1 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
• $300 million to the Bureau of Reclamation water projects
• $5 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers flood control, navigation and water infrastructure projects.

The Senate on Friday failed to approve its $56.2 billion economic stimulus package, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd (D-WA). The Reid/Byrd Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which included $10.8 billion for infrastructure, failed to pass by a 52-42 vote. The economic package included funding for job creation, economic recovery and infrastructure financing. The Senate version of the bill included the following infrastructure provisions:

Transportation

• $8 billion for roads and bridges
• $2 billion for transit
• $4 million for an airport investments
• $350 million for AMTRAK

Water Infrastructure

• $600 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
• $300 million for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Project Grants

The Bush Administration has expressed opposition to the packages and has threatened a veto. This threat coupled with a failure in the Senate, make chances of another stimulus this year very uncertain.

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On July 24, the House approved H.R. 3999, The National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act. The bill would authorize an additional $1 billion for bridge projects, above the $4.5 billion authorized annually under current law. Specifically, the money would be targeted towards 6,000 bridges identified on the National Highway System. The bill would also institute a risk-based system for prioritizing bridge replacement and repair, including state inspections every two years and more often for bridges identified as deficient.

The bill’s chances for becoming law are uncertain. A Senate companion measure has yet to be introduced, and with only a limited number of legislative days left in this election year, such a bill looks unlikely. Finally, the White House has objected to certain provisions, including the $1 billion authorization, which makes a veto threat a possibility. For updates and more information, please visit http://www.apwa.net/Advocacy/
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