Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - AMSA in the News
Infrastructure Erosion Prompts Proposal
Jan 10, 2005 Rock Products
Erosion of infrastructure funding continues to worry organizations in the infrastructure business. The Associated General Contractors of America plans to push for legislation to set up a national commission on U. S. infrastructure needs. The legislation, offered by retiring Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla. ), died in the last Congress. AGC says it will look to Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) to take up the banner. The bill would set up a commission that would examine the adequacy of U. S. infrastructure in a wide range of areas including roads, bridges, highways and transit. In a similar vein, the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies has drafted legislation to set up a new trust fund to finance water infrastructure construction. The omnibus spending bill cut the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's budget, AMSA says, particularly in the area of clean water infrastructure funding. These cuts point to the need for a dedicated funding source, the group says. Taking an unusual approach, AMSA has drafted a funding proposal that would impose a five-cent fee on bottled beverages to finance the trust fund, potentially raising $35 billion over five years. The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, joined by other industry and labor groups, succeeded in convincing Congress to block some aspects of a reorganization plan for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The plan would have altered the status of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in a manner that suggested a demotion of the agency within CDC's structure. The groups also fear a possible transfer of funds and personnel from NIOSH with the proposed change. The omnibus appropriations bill includes language supporting the preservation of the existing status and structure of the research agency. It provides an additional $4. 28 million above the amount requested by the Bush administration to fund NIOSH's in-house mining research program. President Bush has signed legislation restructuring what was known as the Research and Special Programs Administration, the Department of Transportation agency that regulated hazardous materials transportation, pipeline safety and research. Under the new structure, hazardous materials regulation is the responsibility of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. And research responsibilities will be assigned to the new Research and Innovative Technology Administration. The legislation was proposed by the Bush administration. U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao appointed Jonathan L. Snare as the deputy assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Snare also will serve as acting assistant secretary, replacing John Henshaw who left the agency on Dec. 31, 2004. Snare came to the U. S. Department of Labor in June 2003 to serve as senior advisor to the Solicitor of Labor. Kim Lazor, special assistant to the assistant secretary, also will assume a larger role in the agency's operations. Over the last three years, Lazor has been key to OSHA's expanding compliance assistance efforts and stakeholder outreach. In addition, R. Davis Layne, deputy assistant secretary for OSHA, retired from the federal government on Dec. 31, 2004 after more than 37 years of government service. Steve Witt will assume the position of acting deputy assistant secretary for OSHA.
Charlotte Garvey is a Washington, D. C. -based writer specializing in environmental, natural resources, and other public policy issues.