Water Roundup

Appropriations Bill Includes Money for Levee Improvements at St. Joseph, MO
The energy and water appropriations bill included funds for levee improvement projects in Kansas and Missouri in the St. Joseph area.

More information:
St. Joseph included in water resources bill
St. Joe included in water resources bill

Drinking Water and Wastewater Funding Included in Agriculture Bill
The agriculture appropriations bill that passed Congress in October included $568.7 million for the water and waste program that provides grants and loans for drinking water, wastewater and solid waste projects in rural areas.

More information:
Farm Bill Includes Environmental Funding
Rural water appropriations pass both houses
Water Legislation — recycling, research, efficiency

EPA Calls for Missouri to Revise Mississippi R. Standards Near St. Louis
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 7 has requested that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) revise water quality standards for a 28.6-mile section of the Missouri River upstream of its confluence with the Meramec River. The change is intended to protect the river for use for whole body contact recreation, though a MoDNR proposal to implement the standard was previously rejected by the state Clean Water Commission.

More information:
EPA Calls on State of Missouri to Set New Water Quality Standards for St. Louis Segment of Mississippi River
EPA Calls on State of Missouri to Set New Water Quality Standards for St. Louis Segment of Mississippi River (EPA news release)

Missouri Comes Out Swinging Over River Diversion Plan
Missouri politicians at both the state and are opposing a Bureau of Reclamation plan to divert water from the Missouri River for irrigation purposes in North Dakota. This is recent flare up in the longstanding fight for water among the states along the river that predates the act from 2000 that established North Dakota’s allotment of water from the river.

More information:
Governor Objects to Missouri River Water Diversion to Red River Valley
McCaskill wants Interior Secretary out of long-running Missouri River ruckus
Missouri Governor Encourages U.S. Secretary of Interior to Reject Diversion of Missouri River Water to Red River Valley
Missourians oppose river diversion by North Dakota Water war revival
Missourians Oppose River Diversion by North Dakota Water War Revival

Missouri Water Finance Plan Available for Comment

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that its Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Intended Use Plan (IUP) is available. The IUP describes how the department intends to use state and federal funds in the CWSRF to make loans for wastewater system improvements and other purposes. You can find a copy of the IUP and information on commenting here.

In addition, the Missouri Clean Water Commission will hold a public meeting on the plan on March 2, 2011, at 9 AM a the Lewis and Clark State Office Building, 1101 Riverside Drive, Jefferson City. In order to present comments at the meeting, inform the commission secretary in writing at Missouri Clean Water Commission, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176, before 5 PM, February 18, 2011. Other written comments may be submitted to the same address before 5 PM, March 9, 2011.

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.

Infrastructure & Environment News

Energy

Alternative Energy Links

My lack of time to write for this blog has reduced me to a compiler of infrastructure news, though such compilation has always been part of Infrastructure Watch. You can links to several alternative energy articles here.

Google Pledges Investment in African Renewables Project

Google pledged to invest in the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project in Kenya. You can find more about this project here.

Low Gas Prices No Problem for Solar

Low gas prices didn’t last long around here (at least they didn’t stay less than $2 per gallon for long). Either way, Tony Randall discusses why low oil prices are not a problem for the continued growth of solar power in Bloomberg.

Renewables Generators Face Distribution Problems

As the U.S. develops renewable energy resources, it is facing a problem: the places where we most want to use the energy are some distance from the places where we are best able to generate it.  States in the middle of the country are becoming involved in conflicts between clean energy proponents and landowners, sometimes turning environmental and energy groups into uncomfortable allies.

Missouri is one state where the issue has come to head. Earlier this year, the Public Service Commission rejected a project that would carry energy from wind farms in Kansas to users in Indiana. The commission determined that the project was not needed, and many of the public comments received by the commission expressed opposition to the project. The company behind the proposal, Clean Line Energy Partners LLC of Texas, is also proposing a line to connect Oklahoma to Tennessee, which faces opposition in Arkansas.

Environmental groups have been supportive of the Missouri project. Missouri’s chapter of the Sierra Club has acknowledged that the Clean Line route avoids many environmentally sensitive areas, and expressed hope that it will help in the move away from coal. The Sierra Club also supported a Clean Line project in part of Arkansas where it was opposing an oil pipeline project.

Supreme Court Hears Demand Response Case

The Supreme Court has been hearing arguments in a case related to demand response. Demand response refers to methods large energy user adjust their use to reduced demand during normally high use times when energy is expensive. Demand response reduces peak demand, evens out energy use, and reduces cost of energy production.

Companies have created markets to trade these reductions in demand (sometimes called negawatts) as if they were power being supplied to the market. When major users reduce shift use or move use to off-peak times, they reduce the need to ramp up additional generating units, and save money for generators. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has enshrined this in regulations that require energy wholesalers to pay for these commitments to reduce demand the same amount they pay for a commitment to generate electricity.

The crux of the argument before the court is the regulatory authority of FERC. FERC has authority related to wholesale energy markets, where commitments to generate might be traded (and FERC rules say a commitment to reduce demand should get an equal price). The utility customers who are making the commitments to reduce demand are buying energy in the retail market, which is regulated by states.  Opponents of the FERC rules say that it is getting into retail markets in which it has not authority. FERC argues that it is the only agency that can effective regulate this kind of trading, and that there is a public good in the demand reductions and efficiencies provided by demand response.

You can find more about this case here, along with a description of how it may become important to small retail electricity users (i.e. almost all of us).

Infrastructure

John Oliver Thinks Infrastructure Sexy

Comedian John Oliver featured America’s infrastructure in a segment on his show Last Week Tonight. Obviously, Oliver’s tone is humorous and mocking, but he presents a thoughtful essay on the issue. You can see it on YouTube.

States

New Environmental Director in Nebraska

Congratulations to Jim Macy, who was recently appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts to serve as director of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. Macy has worked in the area of environmental regulation and compliance for decades, including leadership roles at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Transportation

States Take Lead on Infrastructure Funding

Washington senate leaders have proposed to raise the state gas tax to 11.7 cents per gallon over the next three years. The proposal would also redirect a portion of the state’s sales tax to its transportation fund (more here).

Oregon will experiment with a program of fees based on miles driven rather than a gas tax beginning this summer (more here). Many think this is a more rational way to fund highways.

In my home state of the Missouri, the governor came just short of calling for a gas tax hike as part of the state of the state address. Tax Justice Blog has a nice summary of proposals in several other states.

Water

Baltimore Sewers Featured on Radio

The radio program Marketplace featured the Baltimore, MD, sewer system and the issues associated with a large, aging infrastructure (listen to or read the story here). Baltimore is not unique; these problems are plaguing cities across the nation.

San Francisco Opens New Hetch Hetchy Tunnel

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission opened the New Irvington Tunnel. The 3.5-mile, 9-ft diameter tunnel will carry 265 million gallons a day. It is part of the Hetch Hetchy system, which brings water from reservoirs as far away as Yosemite National Park, 167 miles. (Read more about the project at KQED.)

Real-Time Sensor for Bacteria in Water

A device has been developed in Denmark that can detect bacteria in water. Of course, not all bacteria is harmful, so it seems the usefulness of the tool may be limited to screening for now. However, it continuous, real-time monitoring could be a useful screen to determine when additional testing is should be performed or when a contamination event started. If commercial versions of the sensor are affordable, multiple sensors could be placed in a drinking water distribution system to continuously monitor water quality, disinfection effectiveness, and potential contamination.  You can find out more about the sensor here.

Water and Art

Adres Jacque will build a temporary structure that uses plants to purify water in the courtyard of MoMA PS1. Organisms in the structure will glow in the dark to provide light. See this Fast Company article for more information.

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.

Energy, Transportation, Water & Missouri News

ENERGY

U.S. Military Agency Seeks to Protect Grid

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has announced plans to develop systems for the protection of critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. You can find out more in this article or the DARPA Web site. If you’d like to find out more about the vulnerabilities of the U.S. electric grid, you may be interested in Lights Out by Ted Koppel.

TRANSPORTATION

Could You Pay to Name a Missouri Road?

A bill introduced into the Missouri House of Representatives, HB 728, would allow the state Highways and Transportation Commission to sell naming rights to roads and bridges. You can find more about the bill here.

Hyperloop Considers Missouri

Missouri is one of the semifinalists for consideration for the construction of a Hyperloop, a high-speed transportation system that could go from Kansas City to St. Louis in 23 minutes. The Missouri Department of Transportation conceives of it as part of a reconstructed Interstate 70 corridor—the segment of I-70 that crosses Missouri is considered the first completed portion of the interstate system. You can find more about this proposal, about which there remain many questions, here or here.

Missouri Bill: Move Over for Utility Vehicles

A bill recently passed in the Missouri House, HB 85, that would require drivers to pull over or slow down when driving by a utility vehicle that is flashing lights. A similar requirement exists for emergency response vehicles such as fire and police. The bill will move on to the Senate. You can find more here.

Missouri and Illinois Rivers Could be Part of Trump Infrastructure Plan

Though President Donald Trump’s proposed infrastructure plan is not final, locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers could make the list. Seven locks, five on the Upper Mississippi River and two on the Illinois River, aid barge transportation to Chicago and Minneapolis. A proposal to improve the seven locks and undertake related stream and habitat restoration projects was taken up by Congress in 2007, but never received an appropriation. If the project is supported by the Trump administration, it is not certain that the president would support the environmental aspect of the program, which would likely undermine the support it has received from major environmental groups. You can read more about this here.

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WATER

Trump Order Could Roll Back Federal Regulation of Streams

President Trump issued an executive order that lead to rescinding the 2015 Clean Water Rule. It is not clear what rule may replace it, but some suspect it will limit or eliminate federal regulation of intermittent streams.

The 2015 rule, promulgated under the administration of President Barrack Obama, clarified federal jurisdiction over certain waters. Opponents sued claiming that the rule actually extended federal jurisdiction. A federal court ordered federal agencies to not implement while it considered the case.

You can find more about this issue here.

Energy & Water Update

ENERGY

Illinois Approves Power Line Rejected in Missouri

We previously posted that the Missouri Public Service Commission rejected a power line project called the Grain Belt Express, which would connect wind energy generation in Kansas to users in Indiana. The Illinois Commerce Commission has approved the project, making Missouri the only holdout.  Clean Line Energy, the company behind the project, plans to continue to seek approval either by reapplying to the state or seeking an overriding federal approval.

Texas Utility Offer Free Nighttime Electricity

TXU energy has offered customers free energy at night. This unusual offer is an attempt to shift use from daytime, when wholesale energy costs are high, to night, when prices drop.

Texas may be better able to adopt a program like this. It has more wind resources than other parts of the country, accounting for 10 percent of generation, and wind blows more at night. In addition, the Texas grid operates largely independently from the other grids in the country, so it cannot easily sell and deliver excess generation to the larger wholesale market.

You can find out more about this free electricity program here.

WATER

Cardboard Sewers Collapse in Canada

In the building boom after World War II, many Canadian sewer service lines were built of a tar-impregnated cardboard. These pipes have been failing with increasing frequency. Some Canadian cities are facing replacement costs of hundreds of millions of dollars.

It appears that these pipes stood up well until dishwasher became common and the hot water began to soften them. This is an interesting illustration of how we are putting new demands on our infrastructure that could hardly have been imagined decades ago when it was originally built.

You can read more about this issue here.