Around America

American Infrastructure Investment Fund Act

Senators Jay Rockefeller (WV) and Frank Lautenburg (NJ) have introduced the American Infrastructure Investment Fund Act. This would create a transportation infrastructure bank. Streets Blog has some more information on the proposal.

Bills Pile Up While the Bills Pile Up

The Highway Trust Fund Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 711) would eliminate federal prevailing wage requirements for federal-aid highway and public transportation projects. If this passes, expect it to have almost no effect on the cost of highway projects.

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2013 (S. 335) would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make loans to entities for the improvement of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. Only large projects would be covered, with minimum loans for $20 million.

The Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act of 2013 (H.R. 765) would establish a grant program in EPA to assist water systems (broadly defined) with the protection of water resources.

Georgia Eyes Tennessee River

A bill in the Georgia state legislature could be the first step in the state’s effort to move it’s border with Tennessee to gain access to the Tennessee river. The border is in dispute because the line laid by surveyors is south of the border specified by Congress, though Georgia’s interest lays more in a desire for more water. You can read more about it in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Mississippi River Floods Caused $2.8 Billion in Damages in 2011

In 2012 and  2013, we’ve been following developments of drought impacts in the Mississippi River. Back in 2011, the news was flooding. ABC New reports that flooding caused $2.8 billion in damages in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee

Sequestration

Do you have questions about the sequestration? A place to start may be the Q&A posted by the Congressional Budget Office.

Texas Rainy Day Fund May Pay for Water Resources Projects

We previously posted about a bill in the Texas Legislature that would provide $2 billion for the construction of projects in the state water plan, and how many mayors are supporting it. The Associated Press has a story on the subject, which you can read in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.