Water Resources News

Judge Winnows Down Central Question in Lake Lanier Case

U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson has announced that the first question to be decided in an ongoing multi-state battle for water in Lake Lanier is whether or not metropolitan Atlanta has the right to use the lake as a primary water supply. Alabama and Florida, which originated the suit against the Corp of Engineers to keep it from providing more water from the lake to Atlanta, argue that the drinking water supply was not a purpose for which the lake was authorized, but a secondary benefit. Georgia officials argue that drinking water supply was an original purpose of the lake.

Additional information:
Question of right to water central in Lanier case (Stacy Shelton, Atlanta Journal-Consitution, Aug. 12, 2008)

Georgia Loses Lake Lanier Battle

A federal judge recently ruled that Georgia had illegally taken more water from Lake Lanier than was permitted under the federal law that authorized creation of the lake. Much of this water was used to supply drinking water to Atlanta.

The court gave Georgia three years to negotiate new allocations with Alabama and Florida. Alternatively, Congress may set new allocations by law.

Related articles and posts:
Court rulings could settle water war
Ruling leaves North Georgia with water crisis
Takin' Atlanta to the Woodshed
Water Resources News (Aug. 27, 2008)
Water Resources News (Aug. 19, 2008)
Question of right to water central in Lanier case

Infrastructure & Environment Roudup

Drinking Water Supplies Threatened by Dry Weather

The Associated Press put together a nice, short summary the problem of shrinking water supplies.  You can read it at the NBC News site and see video of a related story.

Earthquake Preparedness: The Great Shakeout

February 7 will be the Great Central U.S. Shakeout.  If you’re a fellow Missourian, find more information at the Missouri Division of Geology.  If you live elsewhere in the central United States, check out the Shakeout Web site (participating states are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Tennessee).

Highway Trust Fund Out of Money by 2015

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released projections of funds available in the Highway Trust Fund.  They expect it to have insufficient funds to meet obligations by fiscal year 2015.

The Highway Trust Fund is the primary source of money for the federal-aid highway system.  Revenues to the fund come primarily from the federal gas tax.

You can see the CBO projections here→.

Related posts and articles

Highway Trust Fund Running Out of Money (Infrastructure Watch, Feb. 9, 2012)

Hydropower Bill Reported Out of Committee

The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (H.R. 267) was reported out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  The bill would expand hydropower development.

Mississippi River Affected by Drought

We’ve been following stories about the effects of the prolonged drought on the Mississippi River.  Our posts have mostly related to barge traffic and the effort to keep the river open downstream of St. Louis.

NPR has posted an article about the effects at the mouth of the river.  One of the issues is salt water intrusion, which as the potential to change the water quality in that part of the river and has already reached the intake of one drinking water system in Louisiana.  Of course, barge traffic is an issue for New Orleans, too, because the port there is where goods move from river barges to ocean-going vessels.

Recently, barge traffic has been back up by an oil spill on the river, too.  Cleanup of the spill near Vicksburg, Mississippi, continues.

Related posts and articles

Mississippi River barge backup shrinks, oil cleanup continues (Plume, K., Reuters, Feb. 1, 2013)

Rock clearing on drought-hit Mississippi River nears completion (Plume, K., Reuters, Jan. 29, 2013)

Work to Keep Mississippi River Open Continues (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 29, 2013)

New Staff Leader Announced for Senate Environment & Public Works Committee

Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA), chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, announced that Jeremy Symons will join the committee staff as Deputy Staff Director. He will focus on environmental issues, including clean water, air quality, wildlife, and climate change.  Symons currently serves as the Senior Vice President for Conservation and Education at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Previously, he was Executive Director of NWF's Climate Change Campaign, held positions in the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation, and served in Sen. Ron Wyden's (OR) office.

You can read the original news release here→.

Secretary Chu Leaving Energy

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced he will be resigning his post.  Other officials who announced their resignation include Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Related posts and articles

Outgoing Energy Secretary Warns Of Dangers Of Climate Change (Shogren, E., NPR, Feb. 1, 2013)

Energy, Transportation & Missouri News

ENERGY

Buyer of TVA Nuclear Plant Plans to Run It

We previously posted that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was auctioning an unfinished nuclear power plant near Hollywood, Alabama. The buyer, Nuclear Development LLC, announced its intention to complete the plant and put it into operation.

Before this can be done, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must transfer the operating license from TVA to Nuclear Development. In addition, Nuclear Development must complete financing arrangements.

Nuclear Development bid $111 million for the plant. In addition to two nuclear reactors and supporting facilities, the property includes 1,600 acres of land.

Canada, Finland Plan to Phase Out Coal

Canadian officials announced plans to phase out coal-powered electric generation by 2030. They hope the country will be 90 percent powered by sustainable sources by that time.

Findland also proposes to phase out coal by 2030. The country plans to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

MISSOURI

Bill Would Make Sale of Municipal Utilities Easier

A bill filed in the Missouri General Assembly (HB 247), would lower the threshold of voter approval needed for a municipality to sell a utility. If passed, it would lower the requirement from a five-seventh majority to a simple majority. The Missouri House Local Government Committee has taken up the bill.

TRANSPORTATION

Bill Would Transfer Some Missouri Roads from State to Counties

Two bills in the Missouri Senate (SB 38 and SJR 3), propose pathway for the transfer of responsibility for certain road, letter routes, from the state to counties. About two-thirds of the current state funds for maintaining these roads will be distributed to counties, the remainder remaining with the state for other transportation needs.

County officials are opposed to the measure, saying it will shift much of the state’s burden for road maintenance to even more cash-strapped counties. These routes were maintained by counties until 1952, when the state took them over as part of a road improvement program.

A similar proposal failed to pass in the 2016 session. SJR 3 also includes a provision for raising fuel taxes. You can find out more about these bills here.

Noisy Electric Cars

New rules will require electric cars traveling slower than 19 miles per hour to produce a sound. This is to prevent accidents involving pedestrians who can’t hear the very quiet electric motors operating in these vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Administration anticipates this measure will prevent 2,400 injuries to pedestrians annually. New electric and hybrid cars must comply with the rule by September 2019.

Infrastructure News (Mostly Missouri)

ENERGY

Safety Valves Required on Gas Connections

The U.S. Department of Transportation, which governs gas pipeline safety through its Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, issue rules that require safety valves to be installed on all new or replacement gas service lines for apartments and small businesses. Excess flow valves automatically shut off the flow of gas when a line is ruptured, limiting the amount of gas that can escape, which will prevent or reduce the severity of fires.

Such valves have been required for new and replacement connections for single-family residences since 2009. The rule does not require existing connections to be retrofitted with the valve.

Tennessee Valley Authority Puts Unfinished Nuclear Plant on the Market

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is offering for sale its Bellefonte Nuclear Plant. TVA began construction of the plant, located near the northeast Alabama town of Hollywood, in the 1970s, but never completed it because regional power demand did not grow as anticipated.

TVA has set a minimum bid of $36.4 million for the plant and 1,600 acres of land along the Tennessee River. This is fraction of the $5 billion the authority has spent on the project. In addition to the unfinished nuclear reactors, the property includes power transmission lines, roads, and several buildings.

TVA cites economic development as a reason for the sale. It hopes industry will be attracted to the developed site and provide employment in the region.

Wind Farm to Start Operation in Missouri

Next Era Energy Resources is anticipating completing construction of a wind farm in rural DeKalb County, MO, in November. The facility will have 97 turbines and be capable of generating 200 MW. Kansas City Power and Light will purchase the energy. Find out more in this article from the St. Joseph News-Press.

ENGINEERING

Engineering Educators Elect First Black Woman President

The American Society for Engineering Education elected Bevlee Watfort as its president. She is the first black woman to hold the office. Her term will begin in June 2017. Watford is Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.

TRANSPORTATION

Missouri Testing Solar Sidewalk at Rest Stop

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) announced it will install sidewalk made of solar panels at its Route 66 Welcome Center. The sidewalk will cover a 12-foot by 20-foot area at the rest stop on Interstate 44 near Conway, MO.

The panels will be supplied by Solar Roadways of Sandpoint, ID. The solar panels and electronics are sandwiched between to ½-inch thick layers of tempered glass. MoDOT will test the materials for durability under various weather conditions. It will also test the suitability of the panel’s built-in LEDs as substitutes for road striping.

MoDOT does not expect to sell power from solar projects. It envisions that solar roadways may generate enough power to supply rest areas. The power generated by this project will be directed to the welcome center building.

WATER

Bill to Change Missouri Water Commission Overcomes Veto

The Missouri General Assembly overturned a veto by Governor Jay Nixon of a bill that could change the composition of the Missouri Clean Water Commission. The bill would change the composition of the commission, allowing agriculture and mining interests to have a larger representation. The commission has authority over rulemaking under the state clean water law. You can read more about this here.

Oklahoma Shuts Down Waste Wells in Light of Earthquake Threat

The September 3rd earthquake on a newly discovered fault near Pawnee, Oklahoma, has prompted state and federal officials to halt injection of oil and gas wastewater into 67 wells in the area. There is a growing scientific consensus that wastewater injection has contributed to recent earthquakes in the Oklahoma.

Wastewater produced from oil and gas extraction is disposed of by injecting it deep into the ground. Reducing the amount of wastewater that can be injects also reduces the amount of oil or gas that can be collected. The wastewater cannot readily be disposed of by other means.

The magnitude 5.8 quake was felt in neighboring states (Facebook friends of this contributor reported feeling it in St. Louis and the Missouri Bootheel). The U.S. Geologic Survey reports that it was felt as far away as Nevada and Florida.