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)

Government & Infrastructure News

Governors Address Infrastructure

Several governors spoke about their states’ infrastructure needs in state of the state addresses.  Building America’s Future has a nice summary.

He Just Keeps Rollin’ Along

An auxiliary lock on the Mississippi River near Granite City, Illinois, was temporarily closed.  The lock was close after it was damaged by a barge.  By the time the lock was reopened, there were 106 barges and 19 vessels waiting to get through.

Coast Guard officials say the barge accident was unrelated to low water levels in the river.  Low water levels resulting from drought have threatened barge traffic on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

Related posts and articles

Mississippi River Shipping Resumes at Ill. Lock (KOMU [AP], Jan. 23, 2013)

Mississippi River Still Threatened by Drought (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 15, 2013)

Quick Hits: Drought (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 22, 2013)

Revisit: Mississippi River (Infrastructure Watch, Jan 13, 2013)

Senator Viewed Low Mississippi River (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 9, 2013)

LaHood Staying On

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced he plans to stay as President Barack Obama begins his second term.  LaHood and Obama both represented Illinois in Congress, and their terms overlapped.

Related posts and articles

LaHood Says He’s Staying On as Transportation Secretary (Plungis, J., Bloomberg, Jan. 22, 2013)

Revisit: Colorado River, Missouri River

Colorado River

I complained that the new Bureau of Reclamation plan for the Colorado River hinted the remote possibility of bringing water in from the Missouri River, which is insane.  Others are looking at the plan, too.  Here are some links.

HIGH GOOD, LOW BAD: MEAD IN DECEMBER 2012 (Green, M., Chance of Rain, Dec. 30, 2012)

Major Federal Study Sets Foundation for Colorado River Basin’s Future (Walton, B., Circle of Blue, Dec. 14, 2012)

The Water Gap: Interior Department Warns Of Water Shortages In The Colorado River Basin Due To Climate Change (Valentine, K., Think Progress, Dec. 17, 2012)

Las Vegas' New Waterboarding Game: Pipe Dreams and Other Fantasies! (Campana, M. E., WaterWired, Jan. 2, 2013)

Will the Missouri River be the Next Colorado River? (Infrastructure Watch, Dec. 14, 2012)

Missouri River

Back in December, we posted about the low levels in the Mississippi River and how it threatens barge traffic.  Here are some links to more articles about this issue.

As Water Level Falls, Concerns About Mississippi River's Barge Traffic Rise(Memmot, M., NPR, The Two-Way, Dec. 28, 2012)

Barge Traffic Threatened on Missouri & Mississippi Rivers (Infrastructure Watch, Dec. 21, 2012)

Low water may halt Mississippi River transport next week (Polansek, T., Reuters, Dec. 27, 2012)

Mississippi river faces shipping freeze as water levels drop (Goldenberg, S., Guardian, Dec. 14, 2012)

Barge Traffic Threatened on Missouri & Mississippi Rivers

Levels on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers continue to drop.  One of the consequences of low river levels is the dangers it poses to navigation, especially to barge traffic.  Low levels have exposed rocks and sand bars on both rivers.

Barges on these rivers transport a lot of goods, especially commodities.  This is a significant part of the economy of states along these rivers, especially those on the lower Mississippi River.  For instance, in Missouri the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center estimated that nearly $3 billion in Missouri commodities, mostly agricultural products, are shipped on water.  Water freight generates an estimated $388 million annually in gross state product (GSP) in Missouri.

To some degree, flow in these rivers is controlled by dams operated by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.  Officials and businesses along the Mississippi River have asked the Corp to release more water.  The Corp agreed, and on December 15 began releasing water Carlyle Lake (a little more than 50 miles east of St. Louis) on the Kaskaskia River, which flows into the Mississippi River a few a few miles downstream of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.

The Corp has tried to tame these rivers for more than a century, managing them for navigation, flood control, and other purposes.  It may not get any easier.  Many are predicting that climate change will result in more droughts and flooding along with more frequent extreme high and low levels of water in the rivers.

A couple of days ago, IW was quick to draw knives on a proposal to pump water from the Missouri River to the Colorado River through a pipeline that would run from Leavenworth, Kansas, to Denver, Colorado.  Recently Interior Secretary Ken Salazar admitted that this was not a practicable plan and that western states need to seek solutions elsewhere.

Related articles and posts

Climate Change Pits Sioux Against Barges for Scarce Water (Bjerga, A., Bloomberg, Dec. 17, 2012)

Drought expands, concerns mount about wheat and rivers (Gillam, C., Reuters, Dec. 6, 2012)

Four stories to keep an eye on in 2013 (Miller, M., Southeast Missourian, Dec. 18, 2012)

In Two Weeks, the Mississippi River Could Shut Down (Goldenberg, S., The Atlantic, Dec. 14, 2012)

Officials meet to tackle drought-ravaged Mississippi River, shipping concerns (Currier, J., St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec. 17, 2012)

Pump water from Leavenworth to Denver? Highly unlikely, U.S. concludes (Helling, D., Kansas City Star, Dec. 13, 2012)

Will the Missouri River be the Next Colorado River? (Infrastructure Watch, Dec. 14, 2012)

Quick Hits

Drought.  A Midwestern researcher notes that drought-reduced yields will lead to higher prices for corn and soybeans

                The New York Times reports on the effects of the drought on Mississippi River barge traffic.

Energy.  The Department of Energy named Bill Drummond Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration.

                ACEEE ranked states on energy efficiency.  Missouri ranks number 43.

Highway Funding.  Ken Orski summarizes alternative revenue sources to fund our highways at Infrastructure USA.

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.

Revisit: Fiscal Cliff, More Trouble for Colo. R., EPA Leadership

Fiscal Cliff Deal & Wind Energy

I posted highlights from the fiscal cliff deal earlier this month.  The law extended several tax credits and program supporting energy, including wind energy.  Here are links to some additional information on wind energy in the fiscal cliff deal.

Infrastructure in the Fiscal Cliff Deal (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 3, 2013)

U.S. Wind Tax Credit Extended in “Fiscal Cliff” Compromise (Yale Environment 360, Jan. 2, 2013)

Wind Production Tax Credit Extended in Fiscal Cliff Deal (Seigel, R. P., Triple Pundit, Jan 3, 2012)

Senator Viewed Low Mississippi River

Reuter reported that Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) toured the Mississippi River near Thebes, IL, to view efforts to remove rocks and keep the drought-strained river open to barges.

IW has been following the impacts of the drought on the Mississippi River:

Barge Traffic Threatened on Missouri & Mississippi Rivers

Mississippi River

Southwest United States May Be Dryer in Future

Researchers from Columbia University predict a 10 percent decrease in rainfall in areas of the southwest United States.  This would lead to a corresponding reduction of flow in the already critical Colorado River, which may news recently because of the recent release of a federal plan for the river.  Find out a little more in this Los Angeles Times article by Bettina Boxall (here→).

Speculation on Next EPA Administrator

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced her plans to resign.  Speculation has begun on who may replace her.  I don’t know if odds-makers are taking bets.  Here are some links that may help you handicap the race.

Chris Gregoire: Lisa Jackson's Replacement at EPA? (Zellar, T., Huffington Post, Jan. 8, 2013)

E.P.A. Chief Set to Leave; Term Fell Shy of Early Hope (Broder, J. M., New York Times, Dec. 27, 2012)

EPA head Lisa P. Jackson to resign post (Eilperin, J., Washington Post, Dec. 27, 2012)

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office says no word on EPA post (Schrader, J., News Tribune, Jan. 4, 2012)

Gregoire Emerges as Top Contender to Boss EPA (Connelly, J., Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 4, 2012)

New Congress Gets to Work (Sort of), Other Federal Government News (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 7, 2012)

Government Accountability Office Summarizes Shipments on the Missouri River

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report (GAO-09-224R) to members of Congress summarizing the shipments of materials on the Missouri River in the four states that are served by barges and other vessels on it. Most of the shipments were in Missouri (83 percent) and were of sand and gravel (84 percent). Of the sand and gravel shipments, most (54 percent) were transported 1 mile or less.

All the data used in the report are based on tonnage. It does not address the value of materials (which include chemicals, farm products and manufactured goods) or the economic impacts of shipping and barge traffic on the river.

It's All Connected

Our infrastructure for water, energy, transportation, and food is all interconnected.  Changes to one has consequences in the others.  Below are links to several articles that explore these interconnections.

Energy & Water

An Energy Diet: Cut Back on Water, Pay More Attention to Fish (Palquist, D., The Nature Conservancy, Nov. 22, 2012)

Contest Between Water and Energy Becoming Big Story (Schneider, K., Circle of Blue, Oct. 5, 2012)

Water Accounts for 12.6 Percent of U.S. Energy Consumption: Report (Consumer Energy Report, Oct. 31, 2012)

US power supply will be impacted by water shortages (Mills, R., Mining.com, Aug. 24, 2012)

Food & Water

Scarcity of Water and Land Shifts Geography of Food Production and Irrigation Networks to China’s Northeast (Schneider, K., Circle of Blue, Nov. 9, 2012)

Water Supply in a Warming World (Gillis, J., New York Times Green blog, Nov. 12, 2012)

Mideast Facing Choice Between Crops and Water (Martin, A., New York Times, July 21, 2008)

Transportation & Water

After Drought, Reducing Water Flow Could Hurt Mississippi River Transport (Schwartz, J., New York Times, Nov. 26, 2012)

Climate Change Adaptation and Shipping Goods on Receding Rivers (Environmental and Urban Economics blog, Nov. 27, 2012)

Mississippi River commerce imperiled by low water (USA Today, Nov. 22, 2012)

Reservoir releases an attempt to raise Mississippi for barge traffic (McAuliffe, B., Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Nov. 18, 2012)

Sanitation & Water

Water saving may lead to big stink (Salleh, A., ABC Science, Nov. 20, 2012)

Other

The World’s Interconnected Infrastructure (Infrastructure Watch, Oct. 23, 2012)

Coast Guard Seeks Members for Towing Safety Advisory Committee

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking members for the Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). The TSAC advises the Secretary of Transportation, through the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, on matters relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety.

TSAC's membership includes members from the barge and towing industry, the mineral and oil supply vessel industry, port districts, authorities or terminal operators, maritime labor, shippers and the general public. Members serve three-year terms. Members may serve until a replacement is appointed. The committee meets at least once a year. For an application to serve on this committee, follow this link.

Heat Hard on Infrastructure

The extended hot dry weather in much of the United States is taking its toll on our infrastructure.  Roads are buckling, barge traffic is limited, water supplies are under watch, electrical supplies are strained by demand.  A US Airways jet even got stuck in a melting runway.  Links to several articles on this subject are listed below.

Global Warming Imperils Nation’s Energy System (National Wildlife Federation)

Heat is Making Roads Crack (Essley, L., Washington Examiner, July 6, 2012)

Mississippi River Low-Water Mark is a Concern for Shippers (Belz, A., Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 31, 2012)

Mississippi River Runs Low as Drought Grips St. Louis Region (Gustin, G., St. Louis Post Dispatch, July 17, 2012)

Mississippi Rivers So Low, Cargo Barges Rund Aground (Sainz, A., & Mohr, H., Associated Press on NBCNew.com, July 16, 2012)

The Not So Mighty Mississippi: How the River’s Low Water Levels are Impacting the Economy (Sanburn, J., Time, July 30, 2012)

So, How Hot Was It? (Wald, M. L., Green blog at New York Times, July 17, 2012)

State Works Quickly to Patch U.S. 50 (Thompson, C., Baltimore Sun, July 9, 2012)*

U. S. Infrastructure in Disarray Due to Extreme Weather, Climate Change (Common Dreams, July 26, 2012)

Weather Extremes Expose Flaws in America’s Crumbling Infrastructure (Nisen, M., Business Insider, July 26, 2012)

Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling (Wald, M. L., & Scwartz, J., New York Times, July 25, 2012)

*Incidentally, Infrastructure Watch is close to U.S. 50, though a very long drive from Baltimore.

Around the Nation

Mississippi River Still Threatened by Drought

Though the Corps of Engineers has been clearing rocks from the Mississippi River near Thebes, IL, continuing drought conditions threaten to bring the river level too low to allow the passage of barges.

Related posts and articles

Barge Traffic Threatened on Missouri & Mississippi Rivers (Infrastructure Watch, Dec. 18, 2012)

Drought Still Threatens Mississippi River (Wail, T., Discover News, Jan. 9, 2012)

Mississippi River (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 7, 2012)

New Rules for Bacteria in Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized revisions to rules that limit bacteria in drinking water.  The major difference in the rule is its new focus on technological standards, establishing a requirement to seek and eliminate pathways for bacterial contamination in the treatment processes  when violations of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) are detected.  It also establishes a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) of zero for E. coli and modifies public notification requirements.

Related posts and articles

Fact Sheet: Announcement of Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (EPA)

New Rules Tackle Bacteria in Drinking Water (Bienkowski, B., Scientific American, Jan. 10, 2013)

PBS Looks at Sewer Problems

The News Hour broadcast a pretty good story about the sewer and water infrastructure problems and solution in Detroit, MI, and San Antonio, TX (and what it costs).  You can see the segment here→.

Texas Legislature Concerned About Water

As the Texas Legislature reconvened, leaders indicated that water resources would be an important issue.  There is a proposal to use $2 billion from the state’s rainy day fund to pay for water resources development projects.  Even some environmental groups that often balk at such proposal are getting on board, possibly lured by the proposal that 20 percent of the fund be used conservation and reuse projects.

Related posts and articles

$2 billion proposed to ensure water supply (Tresaugue, M., Houston Chronicle, Jan. 10, 2013)

As Texas Bakes in a Long Drought, Water Becomes a Focus for Legislators (Fernandez, M., New York Times, Jan. 12, 2013)