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Oklahoma DOT approves eight-year plan
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October 31, 2008
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.—The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved an estimated $4 billion construction plan for the next eight years that will include projects in each of the state’s 77 counties. The plan includes projects made possible by funding hikes approved by the state legislature earlier this year. The legislation increases the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) funding by $30 million each year until it reaches an additional $370 million annually in 2016. The legislature also approved $300 million in bonds to keep the agency’s plans on track....
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CRSI forms epoxy-coated rebar group
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October 31, 2008
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SCHAUMBURG, ILL.—The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) formed the Epoxy Interest Group (EIG) comprising coaters and fabricators of epoxy-coated reinforcement, manufacturers of epoxy powder, and accessory manufacturers. The purpose of the EIG is to provide relevant information covering specifications, improvements, costs, case histories, and other significant issues concerning corrosion protection with epoxy-coated rebar. EIG goals include informing interested parties about the increased quality and lower life-cycle costs of roads, bridges, and other construction projects that use or should use epoxy-coated reinforcing steel....
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Researchers study coastal hazards
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October 31, 2008
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CORVALLIS, ORE.—Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are studying why wave heights in the Pacific Ocean have been increasing in recent years and how this phenomenon—coupled with global warming—might affect coastal erosion, flooding, and development along the Pacific Northwest coast. Peter Ruggiero, an assistant professor of geosciences at OSU, is developing new computer models that factor in the increasing wave heights, as well as rising sea levels and the potential increase in frequency of El Niño weather conditions. El Nino is a cyclic water temperature weather pattern that results in warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures and triggers larger storms in the Pacific Ocean....
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Trimble outlines Dimensions 2009 User Conference
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October 31, 2008
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SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Trimble will hold its International User Conference Feb. 23-25, 2009, at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. According to the company, the theme of Dimensions 2009—Positioning for Success Today And Tomorrow—provides insight into how surveying, engineering, construction, mapping, GIS, geospatial, and mobile resource management professionals worldwide can harness the power of today’s technology to help face tomorrow’s challenges....
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Construction begins on record UV disinfection facility
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October 31, 2008
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NEW YORK—Construction recently began on what is claimed to be the world’s largest ultraviolet (UV) disinfection facility. A joint venture of Malcolm Pirnie/CH2M HILL is serving as the construction management team for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s Catskill-Delaware Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility. Other partners include URS. The project designer is a joint venture of Hazen and Sawyer/CDM....
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Alliance seeks to change perspective on water
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October 31, 2008
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DENVER—The National Association of Clean Water Agencies recently launched the Clean Water America Alliance (CWAA) as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help achieve changes in how water issues are discussed, managed, and solved, with a focus on holistic, watershed-based approaches. Board members are leaders from a variety of fields and viewpoints, including the private sector, municipal utilities, state agencies, the environmental and conservation communities, academia, and three former assistant administrators of water for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency....
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AE management association changes name
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October 31, 2008
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LAFAYETTE, CALIF. — The Professional Services Management Association (PSMA), a national organization that supports leadership growth and best practices within the architectural and engineering (AE) services community, will now be known as the Association of AE Business Leaders (AEBL). In addition, David Sprenkle, P.E., AEBL board president, announced the appointment of Kathryn Sprankle as executive director....
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Report calls for overhaul of EPA stormwater program
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October 20, 2008
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Radical changes to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s stormwater program are necessary to reverse degradation of fresh water resources and ensure progress toward the Clean Water Act’s goal of "fishable and swimmable" waters, according to a new report from the National Research Council. To provide meaningful regulation, all stormwater and other wastewater discharge permits should be based on watershed boundaries instead of political boundaries, the report says. Moreover, the program should integrate stormwater management and land management practices, and focus less on chemical pollutants in the stormwater and more on the increased flow of water....
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Webcast to discuss green practices in the water industry
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October 20, 2008
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The American Water Works Association offers a webcast, Environmental Values in the Water Industry, 1 p.m. EST on Nov. 5, 2008. According to AWWA, water and wastewater professionals will learn how to adopt cost-saving, energy-efficient practices within facilities. Water industry experts will explain how they’re using green practices such as delivering water via wind power and assessing their potential carbon footprint....
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2009 construction markets overview
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October 20, 2008
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FMI, a provider of management consulting and investment banking to the construction industry, released its 2009 U.S. Markets Construction Overview, offering insight into some of the construction industry’s business challenges. FMI predicts 2009 as the benchmark low-water year for residential construction as it struggles through a contraction unprecedented in its depth....
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New registration options available for Environmental Connection 2009
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October 20, 2008
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To help ease the financial impact of attending Environmental Connection 2009, the International Erosion Control Association implemented new registration options that make full-conference participation more affordable. For one flat rate, conference attendees will have access to the expo hall, half-day courses, Monday’s field tour, technical presentations, and conference activities—including special tours—for the entire conference....
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Cities, states seek private funds for infrastructure
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October 7, 2008
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As tax revenues increasingly fall short of what’s needed to build, operate, and maintain state- and city-owned infrastructure, governments are looking to the private sector for help. In late September, the city of Chicago announced that it received a winning bid of $2.521 billion from Midway Investment and Development Company, LLC for a long-term lease of Midway Airport. Also last month, New York Governor David A. Paterson signed an executive order establishing the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization to study potential public-private partnerships....
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EPA issues new permit for industrial stormwater discharges
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October 7, 2008
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is issuing a new Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit for an estimated 4,100 industrial facilities in 29 sectors to implement site-specific stormwater pollution prevention plans to protect water quality. Facilities are required to install control measures that meet established technology- and water quality-based effluent limits and must develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan....
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WERF seeks research proposals targeting biosolids odors
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October 7, 2008
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The Water Environment Research Foundation announced a request for proposals for research that provides wastewater treatment utility personnel and their consultants with field-tested design and operational procedures that improve solids management. The research will reduce costs, conserve energy, ensure regulatory compliance, and improve public understanding of solids management operations....
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Civil engineering salaries higher in 2008
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October 7, 2008
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According to a new survey that outlines compensation ranges and trends in the engineering industry, the median income for civil engineers is $78,000 a year, which represents an increase from $77,000 in 2007. The median income for all fields of engineering combined is $85,000, a 7.6-percent increase from 2007. The survey, which was conducted from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008, yielded nearly 15,000 responses from engineers across the country in a variety of fields and at all levels of practice....
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Conference highlights hurricane preparedness and response
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October 7, 2008
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The Gulf Coast Hurricane Preparedness, Response, Recovery & Rebuilding Conference 2008, Nov. 11-14, in Mobile, Ala., is slated to bring together the nation’s and the world’s top professionals in the field of hurricane response, ecosystem restoration, and infrastructure protection, including more than 200 private-sector and governmental participants. The four-day conference will include technical sessions, field tour opportunities, industry exhibits, technical short courses, and networking events....
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ESRI seeks presentations for Survey & Engineering GIS Summit
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October 7, 2008
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ESRI is seeking presentations for its Survey & Engineering GIS Summit, July 11-14, 2009, in San Diego. The Summit is held in conjunction with ESRI’s annual User Conference....
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Trimble outlines Dimensions 2009 User Conference
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October 7, 2008
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Trimble will hold its International User Conference Feb. 23-25, 2009, at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. According to the company, the theme of Dimensions 2009—Positioning for Success Today And Tomorrow—provides insight into how surveying, engineering, construction, mapping, GIS, geospatial, and mobile resource management professionals worldwide can harness...
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Wastewater treatment and cogeneration project wins international award
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October 1, 2008
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ATLANTA—Environmental engineering firm Brown and Caldwell (BC) and the Columbus (Ga.) Water Works (CWW) won the International Water Association’s 2008 Global Project Innovation Superior Achievement Award for their work on the Columbus Biosolids Flow-Through Thermophilic Treatment (CBFT3) and Cogeneration System Project....
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URS forms alliance with Tennessee Valley Authority
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September 30, 2008
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SAN FRANCISCO—URS Corporation entered into an alliance agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning services for environmental improvement projects at fossil generating stations throughout their system. The first project under the alliance has a value of approximately $600 million to URS. The alliance agreement has a funding limit of $3.7 billion and a potential term of 10 years....
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Texas wastewater plant to sell biosolids gas
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September 30, 2008
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) will become the first utility in the United States to capture and sell methane generated by biosolids during the sewage treatment process. Eighty percent of biosolids are used to generate compost. Sewage treated at SAWS’s Dos Rios Water Recycling Center will be used to generate environmentally friendly products, such as recycled water, which improves river quality and is used in place of potable water by industry and manufacturers; compost, which is used to improve soil quality; and now energy....
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EPA provides incentives for clean water permit fee programs
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September 30, 2008
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a new rule that will provide financial incentives for states to use fees when administering a clean water permit program. EPA can give as much as $5.1 million to states that have adequate permit fees for their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) programs....
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Corps recognizes Aboelata for levee-modeling work
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September 30, 2008
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HARRISBURG, PA.—The U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) recently recognized Maged A. Aboelata, Ph.D., for his contributions to reconstruction efforts in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina. Aboelata, a senior hydrologist with Gannett Fleming, is responsible for preparing and supervising hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, including flood delineation, dam break, and assessment of hydraulic structures. He is based in the firm’s Harrisburg, Pa., office....
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Utah’s I-15 Corridor project approved
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September 30, 2008
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—In late August, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) officials signed a Record of Decision providing final clearance of the environmental review for Utah’s plans to build the I-15 Corridor in Utah County. The state can now begin right-of-way acquisition, design, and construction. The project is part of an 840-mile route connecting San Diego to Salt Lake City that was chosen last year as one of six "Corridors of the Future" by the U.S. Department of Transportation....
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Project to raise dam 117 feet
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September 30, 2008
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PASADENA, CALF.—A joint-venture of Parsons and Black & Veatch was selected to provide design and constructability reviews and overall construction management on the San Vicente Dam Raise project. The project will help ensure water availability for the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) and its constituents....
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Virginia Tech develops engineering ethics curriculum
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September 30, 2008
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BLACKSBURG, VA.—Does the responsibility of an engineer cease after providing professional advice or does it involve additional advocacy? Consider such questions as whether oil fields should be established on the North Slope of Alaska, whether a renewed effort should be undertaken to build nuclear power plants, or whether a dam should be built that helps prevent flooding but severely impacts the environment? Virginia Tech faculty members from engineering, business, and philosophy posed the question of responsibility in a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish an interdisciplinary graduate curriculum in engineering ethics....
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Virginia receives grant for water quality projects
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September 30, 2008
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PHILADELPHIA—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing $13.9 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia to improve water quality. The grant, along with $2.8 million in state match, was awarded to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to further capitalize its revolving loan fund that provides low-interest loans for construction of wastewater treatment facilities, nonpoint source and estuary projects, and other water quality management work....
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Research addresses desalinating brackish water
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September 30, 2008
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KANSAS CITY, MO.—Black & Veatch is leading a research project focused on the challenges of desalinating brackish water in Florida. When completed, the study will provide Florida utilities and other similar areas of the world with technology and application process recommendations to use additional water resources to meet demand. The project is sponsored by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF)....
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In memory: Jim Howland
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September 30, 2008
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DENVER—CH2M HILL co-founder Jim Howland died Aug. 28, 2008, at his home in Corvallis, Ore. He was 92. Howland served as the general manager of the engineering firm Cornell, Howland, Hayes, and Merryfield almost since its inception in 1946. After the firm incorporated in 1966, Howland became president, a position he held through 1974. He was chairman of the board of CH2M HILL from 1974 to 1977....
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Research to assist disaster response
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September 30, 2008
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TROY, N.Y.—A six-year, $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will allow researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to investigate how different civil infrastructures within a city or county—such as roadways, water and power utilities, hospitals, banks, or law enforcement—interact with each other and with the natural environment after a disaster. Using complex computer modeling to develop this "system of systems," the researchers will create software that will allow infrastructure managers and emergency response organizations to better understand their interdependency and better coordinate their efforts, and in turn be better equipped and more prepared to respond to all types of disasters....
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