Missouri Governor Proposes Moving Energy Division

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed an executive order to transfer the Missouri Division of Energy from the state Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Economic Development.

The Division of Energy houses programs related to energy policy, resources, efficiency and education.  Specific program include low-income weatherization assistance, the energy revolving fund and certification of home energy auditors.

The General Assembly may reverse this decision if it acts before April 8 (60 days after the executive order was signed on February 4).  If this does not occur, the transfer will become effective on August 28.

Related post and articles

Executive Order 13-03 (State of Missouri, Feb. 4, 2013)

Gov. Nixon signs three Executive Orders to make government more efficient and effective (Viehman, R., Three Rivers Publishing)

Governor reverses $8.5M in cuts to Missouri higher education (Lieb, D. A., Kansas City Star [Associated Press], Feb. 4, 2013)

Nixon Adds More Money to Higher Education & Shifts Some State Programs (Mahoney, M., 20 Pounds of Headlines)

Nixon announces reorganization of some state functions (Yokley, E., Missouri News Horizon, Feb. 4, 2013)

Nixon moves forward with government efficiency measure (Yokley, E., PoliticMO, Feb. 5, 2013)

Nixon reverses $8.5M in cuts to higher education (Lieb, D. A., Dunklin Daily Democrat [Associated Press], Feb. 4, 2013)

Nixon reverses $8.5M in cuts to higher education (Lieb, D. A., St. Louis Post-Dispatch [Associated Press], Feb. 4, 2013)

State laws that could be affected by the change include

Sections 8.800-8.851 RSMo. –energy efficiency in public buildings

Sections 135.300-135.311 RSMo. – tax credit for wood energy

Section 143.121 RSMo. – tax deduction for home energy audits

Sections 393.1020-393.1030 RSMo. – Renewable Energy Standard

Sections 414.400-414.471 – reduction of state vehicle fuel consumption

Section 640.150 RSMo. – various energy policy, information and education duties assigned to Department of Natural Resources director

Section 640.153 RSMo. – certification of home energy auditors

Sections 640.155-640.219 – various provision related to energy programs, education and funding

Sections 640.651-640.686 RSMo. – establishing the Energy Set-Aside Program fund and an energy loan program

Energy & Transportation News

ENERGY

Missouri Municipal Electric Utilities, Governor Support Power Line Project

Earlier this year, the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) rejected a proposal for a power line that would carry electricity generated at wind farms in Kansas to the grid in Indiana. The PSC’s decision was based, in part, on the fact that no Missouri customers would use the line or the energy it carried.

Clean Line Energy, which proposed the project, has been looking to overcome this object. It has brokered a deal with the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission (MJMEUC), which represents a pool of municipal utilities that pool resources to by power. MJMEUC has 67 municipal utility member and 35 are expected to take part in the deal if it is approved.

In addition, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has expressed his support for the transmission line. In his statement, Nixon emphasized the energy savings and jobs that would be created the $500 million construction project.

The line must be approved by the Missouri PSC. It is likely to be opposed by affected landowners who campaigned against the original proposal. Official in Kansas, Illinois and Indiana have already approved the project.

What Are the Advantages of Microgrids?

This is the second in a series of posts on microgrids. See the previous post for a description of what is a microgrid.

Microgrids have several potential benefits. These include

-backup energy supply and improved reliability,

-environmental benefits,

-exploitation of local and alterative resources,

-increased energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption, and

-reduced cost.

Backup Energy Supply and Improved Reliability

Because microgrids can operate independently of the larger grid, they may be able to continue to operate when there is an outage elsewhere on the main grid.

Environmental Benefits

Microgrids are not inherently less polluting than large grids, but they may afford opportunities to manage energy resources in manners that may reduce pollution. Microgrids may be more easily able to exploit variable or small renewable sources including solar and wind energy. These smaller power supplies may also be able to address local peaks and reduce the need to ramp up production at larger, and potentially more polluting, power plants.

Exploit Local and Alternative Resources

Sometimes local energy resources are available that are not suitable for use on a large grid because they are not sufficiently powerful or reliable. Solar energy, an alternative energy source that is variable and relative low power, is an example of a resource that may be more easily exploited by a microgrid.

Reduced Cost

Microgrids might be managed in a manner to reduce costs. For instance, when prices are high during periods of peak demand, a microgrid might switch to a local power supply that is less expensive. This will also reduce the peak on the larger grid, meaning larger power plants do not have to ramp up production as much or be built to address large peaks.

If you’re interested in finding out more about microgrids, here are some resources to get you started.

How microgrids work (Lantero, A., Energy.gov, June 17, 2014)

What is a microgrid? (Infrastructure Watch, April 23, 2016)

TRANSPORTATION

60 Years of Interstate Highways

President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 on June 29 of that year. Though previous legislation had authorized interstate highways, it was under this act and the Eisenhower administration that our interstate system began in earnest.

Interstates have proven to be a safe way to travel (the fatality rate on interstates is less the rate on other routes).

Even so, the roads are showing signs of aging. Many sections are in poor condition and many bridges are structurally deficient.

Keeping up with the maintenance needs of the interstate system is an enormous task. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the backlog if needed improvements totals $189 billion.

Relate Posts and Articles

At 60, U.S. Interstate Highway System is Showing Its Age (Hill, C., Equipment World, June 28, 2016)

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 (Weingroff, R. F., Federal Highway Administration, June 15, 2015)

Missouri Legislature Fails to Act on Transportation Tax

Though a bill passed in the Missouri Senate, the state’s General Assembly did not act on a proposed fuel tax increase before closing its session in May. You can read more about this issue here.

COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT

Blogger Considers Career Change

That doesn’t mean I’ll quit blogging. I’ve never made a living (or even a dime) from blogging, and it has always taken a back seat to other things. By day, I’m an employee of a state that pays the lowest wages of any state (even our legislators are starting to complain about it). Maybe I should cross the river and go back to school where I can learn to be a brewmaster, or possibly a vintner. As I recall, looking through the fog of a couple of decades, I did reasonably well in my undergraduate food processing class, so maybe I can build on that.

Sarah Parker Pauley Nominated to Direct Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Sara Parker Pauley has been nominated to the position of Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources by Governor Jay Nixon. The department has not faired well under Nixon’s previous appointee, so Pauley faces rebuilding a damaged enterprise. She will also need to repair the agency’s relationship with the General Assembly.

Pauley previously served at the department as a deputy director during the administration of Governor Bob Holden. She must be confirmed by the state Senate, where tough confirmation hearings are expected, but will serve as director during the process.

Transportation and Engineering News

TRANSPORTATION

Missouri Governor Proposes Funding Increase for Amtrak

The budget proposal submitted by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon included an additional $500,000 for Amtrak, for a total of $10.2 million. Amtrak claims it will need $18 million from the state to install positive train control, as mandated by Congress, on the Missouri River Runner line, with a total cost of $30 million. You can find more about this issue here.

Missouri Legislator Suggests Punt to Counties

Missouri State Representative Bryan Spencer proposed to make counties responsible for the upkeep of certain roads that are currently maintained by the state (these are generally rural, two-lane highways). This would reduce the amount of state-maintained roads by 19,000 miles. The roads in question have been state-maintained since 1952, when they were shifted away from county maintenance. To implement the proposal, the state constitution must be amended. You can find more about this proposal here and here. Most proposals to improve Missouri’s road funding problem involve raising the fuel tax.

WOMEN IN STEM

Women Take Lead at Engineering Organization

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has nominated two women to the ballot for its president-elect.  Robin Kemper and Kristina Swallow are both professional engineers, and one will be ASCE’s president-elect and eventually president. Kemper provides expertise on construction and professional liability issues at Zurich Services Corporation. Swallow leads a team of public works engineers in Las Vegas. ASCE’s current president-elect, Norma Jean Mattei, will step up to the office of president, meaning the top two offices in the organization will be held by women for the first time in the 164 years it has existed. You can find more here.

All About Missouri This Week

Bill Prefiled to Ban Texting and Driving

Missouri State Senator David Pearce has prefiled a bill that would prohibit the use by all drivers of hand-held mobile phones to send, read or write text messages. Find out more here.

Gubernatorial Candidates Discuss Tranportation Funding (Just a Little)

So far, Missouri’s candidates for governor have provide few details about how the state will pay to maintain roads. Missouri is 7^th among the states in the size of its transportation system, but 47^th in state funding.

Candidate Catherine Hanaway suggested that the $200 million annually in state fuel tax revenues that is used to fund the Highway Patrol could be committed to transportation. The Highway Patrol would be funded from general revenue, though Hanaway’s plan does not provide specifics about how other general revenue-funded programs would be cut or how general revenue would be increased. You can find more about Hanaway’s proposal here.

The state General Assembly is also looking at the issue. A prefiled bill (HB 1381) would raise the state fuel tax from 17 cents to 19 cents per gallon.

First Woman Engineering Dean at University of Missouri

My alma mater, the University of Missouri College of Engineering, has named its 11^th dean, Elizabeth G. Loboa. She is the first woman to hold the position. Loboa has a background in biomedical engineer. Before coming to Mizzou, she held a joint appointment at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Highway Commissioner Appointed

Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Hannibal-area lawyer John Briscoe to serve on the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission. The appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.

Springfield Buying Wind Energy

City Utilities of Springfield announced it will be buying energy from a wind farm to be built north of Oklahoma City, OK. The wind farm is being built by Duke Energy Renewables and is designed to produce 200 megawatts.

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.

New Missouri Transportation Commissioner Sworn In

Stephen R. Miller of Kansas City was sworn in this week as Missouri's newest Highways and Transportation Commissioner by Supreme Court Chief Justice William Ray Price, Jr. He was appointed earlier this month by Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon.

Miller is an attorney with the law firm of Miller Schirger and has more than 25 years experience in construction law. He fills the vacancy left by the resignation of Mike Kehoe of Jefferson City and will complete his term, which runs through March 1, 2011.

You can see the original post from Missouri Department of Transportation blog here.

Jefferson City, MO, Part of Greening America’s Capitals Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected Jefferson City, MO, (home of Infrastructure Watch) for green design assistance that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, providing greater housing and transportation choices, reducing energy costs and improving waterways. Through its new Greening America’s Capitals program, EPA will fund private sector experts to provide sustainable design assistance to Jefferson City, Boston, MA; Hartford, CT; Charleston, WV.; and Little Rock, AR.

Greening Americas Capitals is a new project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an agreement between EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to coordinate federal housing, transportation, and environmental investments; protect public health and the environment; promote equitable development; and help address the challenges of climate change. HUD and DOT were involved in the review and selection process and will provide technical expertise on relevant portions of each project.

Jefferson City and the four other state capitals were selected from a total of 38 cities that responded to a solicitation of interest. EPA will now organize teams of urban planners and landscape architects to provide direct, customized technical assistance as requested by Jefferson City officials. Greening America’s Capitals provides direct technical assistance to communities by working with private sector experts and leveraging partnerships, such as with HUD and DOT, to consider implementation options.

Jefferson City’s primary area of focus is bounded on the west by U.S. Highways 63/54, on the north by the Missouri River, on the south by U.S. Highways 50/63, and by the Capitol Building on the east. Wears Creek and vacant properties within the area provide the greatest opportunity for reconnecting nearby residents in the Southside neighborhood to the riverfront. Wears Creek can serve as an important connection to planned bike and pedestrian greenways.

EPA‘s support of the Jefferson City project is also undertaken to advance EPA’s Urban Waters focus, which seeks to support communities in their efforts to access, improve, and benefit from their urban waters and surrounding lands. EPA’s Urban Waters efforts place particular emphasis on engaging underserved neighborhoods and on providing equitable access to urban waters through well-planned community revitalization leading to improved urban water quality. EPA’s assistance to Jefferson City will integrate the goals of both the agency’s urban waters and livability efforts.

Partners on this project include: Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon, State Senator Carl Vogel, Jefferson City Mayor John Landwehr, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri State Office of Administration Jefferson City Council, Jefferson City Housing Authority & Land Clearance Authority, Jefferson City Environmental Quality Commission, Jefferson City Planning & Zoning Commission, Jefferson City Parks & Recreation Department (tangentially, they have an adult kickball league), Historic Jefferson City, Old Town Revitalization Company, Downtown Association, Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Missouri Environment & Infrastructure Roundup

Lead Contamination Continues in Herculaneum
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 is considering a range of enforcement actions against the Doe Run Resources Corporation, now that recent tests have shown more than one-third of a group of properties situated within a mile of the company's lead smelter in Herculaneum, contain lead at levels exceeding 400 parts per million (ppm), EPA's threshold for removing and replacing such soils.Of 372 properties sampled, 129 had at least one area exceeding the 400 ppm action level for lead. A total of 104 of those 129 "action level" properties have already undergone soil remediation within the past nine years, under work previously ordered by EPA. EPA intends to work with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) to correct the problem by requiring Doe Run to implement a solution.Doe Run's facility at 881 Main Street in Herculaneum has been in operation for more than a century and is the largest smelter of its kind in the United States.

Both EPA and MDNR have taken a number of enforcement actions against Doe Run over the years, including EPA's July 2009 unilateral administrative order, directing the company to sample and test gravel driveways and surface yard soils from all homes within one mile of the smelter. Those tests, completed by a contractor hired by Doe Run, were completed last month, after which the company sent confidential letters to property owners and residents, informing them only of the test results from their respective properties. EPA received a full report of the sampling activity on October 8, 2009. A redacted copy of that report is available at www.epa.gov/region07/news_events/legal/.

See the original EPA news release here.

Stimulus Funds Aid Clean Up of Madison Co. Mine Superfund Site
EPA Region 7 has awarded a contract to an Ohio environmental firm to proceed with the cleanup of lead-contaminated soils at approximately 800 residential properties within the Madison County Mines Superfund Site in southeast Missouri. The contract is supported by more than $9.8 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.Environmental Quality Management, Inc., of Cincinnati, has a two-year base period with one option year, and a maximum possible award of $13,915,694, under the contract. Total ARRA funding for the contract is $9,885,000.The funding will enable EPA to proceed with the cleanup of an estimated 800 residential properties at the site over a two-year period, with additional funding to clean up 200 more residential properties in the third year of the contract.Madison County Mines Superfund Site is located in southeast Missouri near Fredericktown, in the Old Lead Belt where heavy metal mining has occurred since the early 1700s. Past mining operations have left at least 13 major tailings and chat deposits from mineral processing operations within the county. Wind and water erosion has moved the lead-contaminated material to residential surface soils, sediments, groundwater and surface water, posing threats to human health and the environment.

See the original EPA news release here.

Governor Makes Environmental & Infrastructure Nominations
Gov. Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon has announced several nominees to boards and commissions.

Jack Baker, Air Conservation Commission (reappointment) - Baker is a cattleman who was first appointed to the Air Conservation Commission in 2002 and has served as chairman and vice-chairman of the committee. He sits on the state board for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives and has served on several cattle-related boards. Baker has received several awards and honors for his Angus cattle. His term ends Oct. 14, 2013.

Thomas B. Bradley, State Soil and Water Districts Commission - Bradley is a farmer who is currently serving his fifth term as treasurer for New Madrid County. He earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture, with a minor in geology, from Southeast Missouri State University. Bradley also has served as a member and treasurer of the New Madrid County Soil and Water District. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Aug. 15, 2012.

Steven B. Martin, Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority - Martin is the division manager for Crop Production Services for Missouri and Arkansas and has worked in the agricultural industry since 1980. He has also worked for United Agri Products Inc. and for Terra Industries in sales and management. Martin also is involved in the operation of a family farm. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending June 30, 2014.

William J. Schumake, Dam and Reservoir Safety Council - Schumake has owned Town and Country Motors in Sedalia for 42 years. He has served as director of the Sedalia Pettis County Development Corporation, the Thompson Hills Investment Corporation, and the Sylvia G. Thompson Residence Center Inc. His term ends April 3, 2010.

You can read the original news release here.

Missouri Governor Nominates Infrastructure and Environmental Board Members

Missouri Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon announced appointments to some boards and commissions. The appointees will be subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate.

Patrice E. Boehler, Dam and Reservoir Safety Council - Since 1998, Boehler has served as vice president of development for Westmore Group Inc., a provider of commercial real estate services. She also is president of Natural Resource Consultants Inc. and has worked on dam safety issues in that position for 19 years. Her term ends April 3, 2011.

Daniel G. Buxton, Dam and Reservoir Safety Counci - Buxton is a project manager/engineer for The Doe Run Co. and has been with the company since 1974. In his current position, he manages construction projects at plant sites, regularly inspects 11 Doe Run-owned regulated dams, and manages repairs and construction of the company's dams and spillways. His term ends April 3, 2011.

Kyle W. Drury, Dam and Reservoir Safety Council - Drury is senior design engineer at Bloomsdale Excavating Co. and has been with the company since 2004. He previously was a project engineer with Holcim (US) Inc. and an aviation engineer with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly Consulting Engineers. His term ends April 3, 2010.

Charles E. (Eddie) Adams, Jr., Hazardous Waste Commission - Adams is general manager of Adams Fertilizer Inc. in Senath. He has been with the business since 1985. Adams also was an agricultural pilot for Senath Aviation from 1984 to 2006. His term ends April 3, 2012.

Michael R. Foresman, Hazardous Waste Commission - Foresman serves as a part-time consultant for several environmental consulting firms. He retired in 2001 as president of Solutia Management Co. Inc., a remediation liability management subsidiary of Solutia Inc. His term ends April 3, 2013.

You can read the original news release here.

Federal Officials Discuss High-Speed Rail with State Officials

Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood discussed high-speed rail plans during with state officials at the White House. In April, the administration released a plan for $13 billion in federal funds ($8 billion in the Recovery Act and $5 billion budget) for passenger rail systems. Detailed guidance for up to the first $8 billion in federal grant applications will be announced later this month and the first round of grants are expected to be awarded as soon as late summer 2009.

Several governors and state transportation officials attended including Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon of Missouri.

You can read the original Department of Transportation news release here.

Related posts and articles:
Economic Stimulus Funds 2000 Transportation Projects
Obama Signs Stimulus Bill
U.S. Transportation Dept. Releases Budget Framework

Missouri Governor Nominates Three to Design Professional’s Board

Missouri Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon announced three nominations to the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects.

Abiodun (Abe) Adewale is a professional engineer who is the CEO of ABNA Engineering Inc., which he formed in 1994. He has served as project principal on numerous engineering projects in the St. Louis area, including several related to the expansion of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. His term ends Sept. 30, 2013.

Michael Flowers is a civil engineer who served as Missouri's state land surveyor from 1997 to 2008. He served in various surveying positions with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Division of Geology and Land Survey, beginning in 1972. His term ends Sept. 30, 2012.

Daniel Govero has been president since 1998 of Govero Land Services Inc., of Imperial, which specializes in all forms of surveying and provides design and engineering services for subdivision, commercial development, and industrial, recreational and individual homeowners' sites. His term ends Sept. 30, 2013.

Other gubernatorial appointments and nominations:
Missouri Environment & Infrastructure Roundup
Missouri Governor Makes Environmental Appointments
New Commissioner Appointed to Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission

Bagby Appointed to Missouri Alternative Fuels Commission

Missouri Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon has appointed Jerry F. Bagby to the Missouri Alternative Fuels Commission. Bagby is co-owner of Global Fuels LLC, a biodiesel refinery in Stoddard County (Infrasturcture Watch’s boyhood home) that produces three million gallons per year. A graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in agricultural economics, he also has farmed for many years in southeast Missouri. His term ends March 25, 2012.

You can read the original news release here.

New Member Appointed Missouri Dam & Reservoir Safety Council

Missouri Gov. Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon has appointed Tommy J. Waddell to the Dam and Reservoir Safety Council. Waddell is retired from a career in the construction industry. His term ends April 13, 2012.

Unadulterated Scuttlebutt: More Shake-Ups at Missouri Department of Natural Resources?

Infrastructure Watch has heard some wild rumors about a potential dismantling of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, full or partial. If it occurs, it will be contextualized as a budget-reducing measure.

Gov. Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon’s restructuring proposals have been reasonable so far, focused on eliminating inactive or redundant commissions and programs. Eliminating a major department is a tougher task.

While the state Department of Natural Resources is still a bit of a hodgepodge even 36 years after its creations, most of the state’s departments are. Some parts of the agency may seem to fit elsewhere, but mission difference might cause problems (for instance, the state’s parks and conservation areas have very different purposes even if they share the purpose of outdoor recreation). Other programs are likely to cause heartburn for any department they are part of.
A reorganization of this magnitude is not a ready fix to budget problems, especially since such a small portion of the department’s funding is from general revenue. It is likely to entail huge management headaches for any of the departments involved.

Missouri Governor Makes Environmental Appointments

Missouri Governor Jay “Boondoggle Bridge” Nixon has announced appointments to several state boards and commissions with responsibilities in environmental policy and programs.

Dr. Raymond E. Bailey, Seismic Safety Commission - Bailey is construction management/services manager for ABNA Engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree in geological engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an MS and doctorate from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He was appointed to a term ending July 1, 2012.

Dr. Jeffrey D. Cawlfield (D), Dam and Reservoir Safety Council (reappointment) - Dr. Cawlfield is a professor of civil engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and has been at the university since 1987. He currently is chair of the freshman engineering program at the school. Hew was appointed to a term ending April 3, 2011.

LaRee DeFreece, State Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority - DeFreece, who holds a law degree from Washington University, is vice president and director of global sustainability consulting services for the architectural firm HOK. He was appointed to a term ending Jan. 1, 2011.

Bruce E. Manning, Safe Drinking Water Commission - Manning, who holds a Missouri "A" operator's license and a Missouri DSIII drinking water distribution operator's license, is the principal water treatment technologist for CH2M HILL. He has more than 30 years' experience in water quality management. He was appointed to a term ending Sept. 1, 2012.

Dianna R. Reed, Air Conservation Commission - Reed, a 27-year-old who holds a civil engineering degree and a law degree from the University of Missouri, serves on the program committee of the U.S. Building Green Council - St. Louis chapter and on the environmental and legislative committee of the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry. She is an associate with the law firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale. She was appointed to a term ending Oct. 13, 2012.

You can read the original news releases here and here.