For the Week Ending October 27, 2000
This weekly report is written by the American Society of Civil Engineers? Government Relations staff. If you have questions or comments about any items in this report, please contact Brian Pallasch, Michael Charles, Martin Hight, Austin Fulk, or Liz Hermsen by e-mail or at 202/789-2200.
Inside This Week:
1. SMALL WATERSHED DAM REHABILITATION BILL SENT TO PRESIDENT
The President is soon expected to sign into law the Small Watershed Dam Rehabilitation legislation. The measure had been given new life when the House of Representatives attached the major parts of the bill, formerly H.R. 728, to another piece of legislation, H.R. 4788, the "U.S. Grain Standards Act," which passed the House of Representatives on October 17 and the Senate on October 24. Section 313 of the legislation included the major parts of the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000.
The legislation authorizes $90 million over five years to provide up to 65 percent of total costs to a local organization for rehabilitation of structural measures of certain small watershed dams or decommissioning the dam if the sponsoring organization requests it. The Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000 is critical because lack of action will increase the probability of dam failures, resulting in the loss of human life and significant property damage. By the year 2020, more than 85 percent of all dams in the United States will be more than 50 years old, the typical useful life span. Some small watershed dams were originally constructed in rural areas that have since had homes and businesses built downstream. Consequently, these dams need to be rehabilitated to meet today's more stringent safety standards, or properly decommissioned, because of the possible loss of life and property if a dam should fail.
2. MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION BILL FAILS IN HOUSE
On October 24, the House failed to pass, under a suspension of the rules, H.R. 4271, the ?National Science Education Act.? While 215 members voted for the bill and 156 voted against, the bill failed to achieve the 2/3 majority needed to pass under suspension of the rules. The bill failed due to opposition from teachers unions concerned that some of the money in the bill, which provides science and math training for teachers, would go to private school teachers. The vote effectively ends any chance for passage of math and science education initiatives for this year.
3. CONGRESS REACHES COMPROMISE ON WATER RESOURCES BILL
The House and Senate completed on October 26 a compromise bill to authorize a number of flood mitigation and river and beach restoration projects in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000, but it was not clear on October 30 whether there is enough time left in the congressional session to pass the bill.
The House passed a bill on October 19 authorizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to spend $5.1 billion on 26 flood control, navigation improvements, environmental protection and restoration, and other national water infrastructure projects. The bill includes funding for a major restoration program for the Florida Everglades.
The Senate approved its version of WRDA on September 25. It authorizes the Corps an estimated $2 billion to carry out 22 new inland navigation, flood control and damage reduction, environmental restoration, and shore protection projects over the next two years. The Senate bill would also authorize approximately $1.7 billion to begin a long-term project to restore the natural environment of the south Florida ecosystem, including the Everglades.
The bill authorizes the Corps to carry out up to five design-build projects on an experimental basis. ASCE has won an agreement that would require the use of the two-phase competitive-source selection procedures that were enacted by Congress in 1996 whenever the Corps uses the design-build project delivery system. The Corps uses design-build for civil works projects less than one percent of the time, according to Corps officials.
4. CLINTON SIGNS EPA BUDGET BILL FOR FY 2001
President Clinton signed a bill into law on October 27 that appropriates more than $107.1 billion in fiscal year 2001 for environmental, veteran?s, space, scientific research and housing programs. The new law also includes $5 billion to reduce the national debt in FY 2001. The act provides $7.8 billion for the EPA, $663 million above the President?s request and $395 million above the appropriation for fiscal year 2000. Superfund is funded at last year?s level of $1.27 billion, and environmental programs and management receive nearly $2.1 billion -- $12 million below the request and $187 million above fiscal 2000. EPA Research is increased to $732.5 million. The law also contains 237 individual water infrastructure projects demanded by various members of Congress. Spending on the projects, which were not authorized by the Congress, totals $335.7 million in FY 2001. The President opposed inclusion of the projects in the appropriations act. He said the bill he signed "does have too many pork barrel projects, for my taste, but that's what the Republicans wanted."
5. EPA RELEASES HEALTH STRATEGY FOR CHILDREN
EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) released on October 26 a Strategy for Research on Environmental Risks to Children to strengthen the scientific foundation of the Agency's risk assessment and management decisions that affect children. The strategy provides a framework of research needs and priorities to guide EPA programs over the next five to 10 years.
The Agency said it is "committed to promoting a safe and healthy environment for children by ensuring that all EPA regulations, standards, policies, testing methods, and risk assessments consider special childhood vulnerabilities to environmental pollutants." Children are most susceptible from early gestation through adolescence, when pollutants may permanently alter the function of a system. The agency said differences in a child's breathing rate, metabolism, diet and activities (such as playing on floors) might result in a higher toxic dose than adults would receive. Printed copies of the strategy are available by calling 1-800-490-9198 or by visiting the EPA World Wide Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ORD/htm/finalstrategy.htm
6. STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
ASCE continues to provide updates on state legislation affecting civil engineers as state legislative sessions progress. For more information on the following bill(s), or any other state legislative matters, please contact Austin Fulk, ASCE's Manager of State Government Relations, at (202) 789-2200 or via e-mail at afulk@asce.org.
Ballot Initiatives in California
According to the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC), the major organization backing Proposition 35, the initiative is doing well in their internal polling. If passed, Proposition 35 would allow the state of California to contract out for engineering and other design services. While declining to release polling numbers, CELSOC indicated that it has raised as much money as it had hoped for, and their media budget for the campaign is funded at the level they had planned on.
Polls in California indicate a close race for Proposition 39, which would make it easier to pass local school bonds. Proposition 39 would lower the vote required to approve a local school construction bond issue from two-thirds to 55 percent. According to a recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, support for Proposition 39 among likely voters is currently at 50 percent, up slightly from 49 percent in September. Opposition to the measure held steady over the past two months at 37 percent, with undecided voters expected to play a crucial role.
