**Due to the Memorial Day holiday, there will be no Washington Report on May 27, and Congress will not be in session. The Washington Report will next be published June 3. Stay up to date on Government Affairs activities on and .
Happy National Public Works Week!
Latest News
National Public Works Week Events Return to Capitol Hill
- ˾, in cooperation with the bi-partisan U.S. House Public Works and Infrastructure Caucus, will hold a Capitol Hill brief at 9 a.m. ET, May 24, on “Public Works First Responders – The Silent Arm of Public Safety”;
- The brief will be moderated by ˾ President Gary Losier and expert speakers are ˾ members:
- Kürt Blomquist of Keene, NH
- Ryan Scanlan of State College, PA
- Jeff Wilkerson of Martinsburg, WV
- Members of Congress and staff are invited to attend the brief, which will focus on the role played by public works professionals as first responders;
- ˾ Government Affairs is also working on reviving “Donuts and Trucks” on the Hill, which has not happened since 2019;
- Donuts and Trucks is done in partnership with the Washington, D.C. Department of Public Works which brings a painted truck and personnel to the Hill and, with the ˾ Government Affairs team, hands out donuts and coffee to passersby wishing them a happy National Public Works Week:
- Follow these ˾ Government Affairs activities on and .
U.S. Congress Set to Recognize National Public Works Week with House and Senate Resolutions
- To mark the 64th National Public Works Week, the U.S. House and Senate will formally introduce resolutions aimed at highlighting the invaluable contributions to American safety, prosperity, health, and national well-being that public works professionals make every day;
- The resolutions “urge individuals and communities throughout the United States to join with representatives of the Federal Government and the ˾ in activities and ceremonies that are designed to pay tribute to public works professionals;”
- Each year, the ˾ Government Affairs team works with public-works minded congressional offices to secure the introduction and adoption of these resolutions.
Roadshow Visits DC Infrastructure Academy
The Engineering & Public Works Roadshow visited a special infrastructure school last week for students 18 and older;- The will move from SE Washington D.C. to NE D.C. following the renovation of the Springarn High School;
- The school’s commitment to developing a new infrastructure workforce for D.C. residents resonated with the roadshow’s organizers;
- ˾ President-Elect Dominick Longobardi’s message to DCIA students who joined the roadshow press conference
- “We need you.”
- In addition to Dom and speakers from ASCE and ACEC, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser delivered remarks;
- Watch a replay of the event .
Grant Opportunities for Water Projects
- In light of recently announced drinking water standards for select PFAS chemicals, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is again promoting its , which provides states and territories with grants to public water systems in qualifying communities to address emerging contaminants such as PFAS, grants will be awarded non‐competitively;
- There are also a host of smaller federal water programs, like the Department of the Interior, which, considering debates around drought, is promoting accounts with remaining funds such as WaterSMART programs:
- program provides funding for water conservation/efficiency projects, water management/infrastructure improvements, and river/watershed restoration projects and nature-based solutions that provide significant ecological benefits, applications are due by June 18
- program provides funding for projects that result in quantifiable water savings from conservation and efficiency improvements, implement renewable energy components, and support broader sustainability benefits, applications are due by Oct. 30
- The Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner also committed last week in Congress to making a Bucket 2 funding announcement this summer
- Bucket 2 funding is tagged for projects that will reduce use of Colorado River water over the long-term, such as irrigation upgrades and development of new sources of water.
EPA Finalizes Consumer Confidence Report Rule Revisions
- The will require water providers to compile and provide access to “easier-to-read” drinking water quality reports and asserts the annual reports are important tools for alerting consumers of potential pollutants;
- Under the rule, states and tribes will need to submit data regarding how well systems are complying with federal drinking water regulations, which will help EPA better target enforcement efforts and assess trends;
- It also specifies utilities can supplement raw data with graphics and other tools that are user-friendly, and it includes more explicit reporting requirements for the presence of lead in tap water;
- A notable difference from the proposed rule was the removal of a provision that would have barred utilities from including false or misleading statements in reports they send to customers, which raised concerns that the language amounted to “an implicit ban on referring to drinking water as safe or even making meaningful comment on safety”;
- In the interest of increased transparency, EPA has also been promoting the release of more data as part of its , which may inform future regulations and enforcement.
˾ Cybersecurity Certificate Educations Series Continues June 4
- ʰ´’s ˾ Foundational Cybersecurity Concepts Certificate Program will be held June 4 through June 6 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. ET;
- This six-hour certificate program is for any public works professional with a desire to protect critical systems and data;
- The course will provide public works professionals with additional skills to better avoid, react to, and anticipate threats;
- Live sessions will be recorded and the course is eligible for .6 CEU credits upon completion:
- Participants must pass the course exam with an 80% or higher to receive a certificate and eligible CEUs.
- The deadline to register is May 30.
FRA Funding Opportunity for Innercity Passenger Rail Program—Due July 15
- The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a for the Northeast Corridor under the Federal State Partnership for Innercity Passenger Rail Program;
- Funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and is intended for use to replace, rebuild, or rehabilitate a facility providing inner-city passenger rail service and bring them into a state of good repair;
- States, blocks of states, public agency/agencies, or a political subdivision of a state (local governments), a federally recognized Indian tribe, or a combination of these groups are eligible to apply;
- Applications are due July 16, and for additional information email FRA-NOFO-Support@dot.gov.
Next Round of SMART Grants Open for Application—Due July 12
- The U.S. Dept. of Transportation announced the next round of Stage 1 Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation is open for applications;
- Funding is intended for public sector agencies to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety;
- Information on the IIJA funding program, application information, webinars on how to apply, fact sheets and more, are .
On the Horizon
All times ET.
- May 21 at 10 a.m., FEMA will host a on available resource tools to establish a clear and consistent approach to continuous improvement activities in emergency management;
- May 21 at 1 p.m., EPA will host a webinar on ;
- May 21 at 2 p.m., EPA will host a webinar for small drinking water systems on ;
- May 22 at 9:45 a.m., the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will host a hearing on ;
- May 22 at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Budget Committee will host a hearing on ;
- May 22 at 2 p.m., FEMA will host a webinar on its .
Explore ʰ´’s Member Advocacy Tools:
