February 2020 Vol. 75 No. 2
Newsline
Newsline: Latest Industry News
FCC Considers $20.4 Billion Fiber Optic Rollout Package
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was preparing in January to vote on a $20.4 billion package that would help accelerate the build-out of fiber optic, high-speed broadband to rural America.
The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) was originally announced by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in August 2019 and is meant to build on the success of the commission’s previous program to improve rural internet speeds called the Connect America Fund Phase II.
Chairman Pai presented the final rules of the program on Jan. 8, to his colleagues, who agreed to a final vote at a future open meeting.
The FCC has been trying to bridge what it calls the “rural digital divide” for years by funding programs designed to increase high-speed broadband internet availability to areas of the U.S. that have seen much slower adoption of this technology.
From the early days of widespread internet adoption in American homes, most connections were provided by copper wiring or satellite for areas that were not easily accessible by wired infrastructure.
Internet speed is measured in Megabits per second or the number of bits of information that can be transferred every second. 1 Megabit is 1 million bits. The early copper and satellite connections usually provided top speeds of 18 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.
The RDOF will institute a new Commission minimum standard of 25/3 Mbps.
In recent years, copper and satellite connections have been surpassed by the much faster speeds brought by fiber optic cabling offering speeds over 1 Gigabit per second.
While most major cities have adopted fiber optic connections, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have struggled with managing the costs needed to deliver these services to more remote areas of the country.
The RDOF hopes to alleviate some of those costs by allocating funds using a reverse-auction format across two phases.
Phase I would allocate $16 billion to target areas that are wholly unserved (no 25/3 Mbps service offered) and Phase II would distribute the remaining funds to target areas that are partially served.
FERC Approves Chesapeake Utilities Pipeline Expansion
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved construction of the $37 millino Del-Mar Energy Pathway project by Chesapeake Utilities subsidiary Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company. The company submitted an application to FERC in September 2018 for the project.
The Del-Mar project will add 12 miles of natural gas pipeline in Delaware’s Kent and Sussex counties and nearly 7 miles in Maryland’s Wicomico and Somerset counties. Construction was scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2020, with projected completion in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The new system will provide about 12 MMcf/d of additional natural gas firm transportation service and 2.5 MMcf/d of off-peak transportation service to Chesapeake Utilities’ natural gas distribution subsidiaries on the Delmarva Peninsula, as well as one industrial customer.
“This project further expands our partnership in the local communities in which we live and work, bringing natural gas service to Somerset County for the first time,” said Jeff Tietbohl, vice president at Eastern Shore.
Increased Construction Activity Projected for Canada
Despite concerns of global economic slowdown, Toronto-based BTY is projecting generally positive construction activity across Canada in its annual Market Intelligence Report for 2020. The report includes energy and other infrastructure, as well as broader construction activity, including housing.
The largest private sector investment ever in Canada’s history, the $40 billion LNG Canada development, is anchoring British Columbia’s sustained building boom, BTY says, while major infrastructure projects are fueling Ontario’s activity.
Alberta and Saskatchewan will continue to see challenges related to oil production, transportation and trade. However, additions to pipeline capacity and improved efficiencies signal improving conditions through and beyond 2020, BTY projects.
The Market Report calls for activity to remain mostly steady in Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces will hold steady for the most part, while Quebec maintains a brisk pace with a growing backlog of projects forecast post-2020.
Don’t Blame the Fatbergs: Collapsed Pipe Caused NYC Sewage Backup
New York City officials initially named fatbergs as the likely suspect when 127 homes were flooded with raw sewage last month. But an investigation found that the flooding was caused by a collapsed pipe, opening the city to liability damages that could reach millions of dollars, according to the New York Times.
The Times reported that the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (D.E.P.) had determined the flooding was caused by a collapsed pipe, according to a report obtained by the newspaper that had not been released publicly. The department accepted responsibility in the report.
At the time of the incident, Sapienza told The Associated Press: “This time of year we get a lot of grease blockages in sewers from residents that discharge grease. We’re under the assumption that’s what this is.”
New York’s D.E.P. is responsible for 7,500 miles of sewers, 95 pumping stations and 14 plants and says these types of events are extremely rare.
“We do a good job keeping the water moving through the pipes. But, you know, once every five years or so, something like this occurs,” the D.E.P.’s chief, Vincent Sapienza, told the Times.
Vermeer Announces Agreement with MultiOne
Vermeer Corporation announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with MultiOne, a leading manufacturer of compact articulated loaders.
Through the agreement, MultiOne will supply Vermeer-branded loader models to be sold, serviced and supported exclusively through Vermeer dealers across North America and the Caribbean.
Doug Hundt, president of Vermeer Industrial Solutions, said the agreement came in response to growing demand in the landscape, tree care, rental and general construction markets “By combining MultiOne’s proven loader line with the reach, service and support of the Vermeer dealer network, we can quickly expand our already robust line-up of compact equipment to meet this demand,” Hundt said.
Their initial agreement includes all MultiOne compact articulated loader models with operating capacity ranging from 933 to 1,590 pounds (423-721 kg). The Vermeer models will be manufactured in Vicenza, Italy, and feature a telescopic boom for greater reach and utility. Select attachments, a full line of parts and service will be available at Vermeer dealerships in North America and the Caribbean.
New Jersey’s Capital City Spending $150 Million to Replace Lead Pipes
All 37,000 of the lead water pipes in Trenton, N.J., will be replaced over the next five years at an estimated cost of $150 million, city officials said in January.
Trenton’s announcement came about five months after the state’s biggest city, Newark, said it would speed up the replacement of its 18,000 lead lines over the next 2 1/2 years.
Trenton’s publicly owned water utility draws water from the Delaware River and serves some 200,000 customers in the city, in addition to surrounding communities of Ewing, Hamilton, Hopewell and Lawrence.
Pipes will be replaced in phases as the city and Trenton Water Works, the public utility, continue to secure funds from the state infrastructure bank and a federal program, according to David Smith, the Water Works chief engineer.
About 7,000 residents have already registered on the utility’s website and pay $1,000 to have their lines replaced, officials said. Although that’s a savings in compared with typical costs of $2,000-$5,000 per line, officials say they hope to eventually make replacement mandatory at no cost.
Seattle Company Accused of Using Hidden Drain to Pollute Sewer
A century-old Seattle barrel company and its third-generation owner have been accused of using a hidden drain to pump caustic wastewater directly into the King County sewer system. Prosecutors the alleged long-running pollution conspiracy in a 36-count indictment.
Seattle Barrel refurbishes used industrial and commercial barrels and drums. Part of that process involves washing the barrels in a corrosive solution. The company’s attorney blamed a former employee who was fired and said the company did not encourage or permit that worker’s actions.
The indictment names Seattle Barrel’s owner, whose grandfather founded the company in 1916. It also names its plant manager, who is the owner’s cousin. The former employee has not been charged in the case.
Ft. Lauderdale Repairs Damage From 120-Million-Gallon Sewer Leaks
The city of Ft. Lauderdale had a wet holiday last December as more than six different sewer systems leaked over 126 million gallons across the city within a span of about three weeks.
A contract was awarded to David Mancini and Sons Incorporated (DMSI) for the design and construction of 2,500 linear feet of new underground 48-inch pipe to replace a broken main. The project, which began in early January, was expected to take approximately 12 weeks to complete. CBS Miami affiliate WFOR-TV reported the city has approved $65 million for the project.
Southern Underground Industries, Inc., was brought in to replace 4,800 linear feet of 16-inch cast iron pipe with new 16-inch ductile iron pipe in another area of the city. That project was scheduled for completion by mid-February.
Judge Recommends Georgia Prevail in Water War with Florida
A federal judge has recommended that Georgia prevail in a longstanding legal battle with Florida over water consumption from rivers shared by the states, though the final decision rests with the U.S. Supreme Court.
The neighboring states have been fighting since the 1990s over Georgia’s use of water from the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers that serve booming metro Atlanta and southern Georgia’s abundant farms before flowing to the Apalachicola River.
Florida wants the courts to limit how much water Georgia uses, saying Florida residents have been harmed by reduced flows downstream. It blames Georgia for the drastic decline of Florida’s once-lucrative oyster fishery.
The Supreme Court appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Paul Kelly Jr. of New Mexico to review the case. His 96-page ruling recommends the high court reject Florida’s request to impose limits on Georgia’s water usage through 2050. “The evidence has not shown harm to Florida caused by Georgia,” he wrote.
White House Unveils Plan to Speed Big Projects Permits
The Trump administration in January unveiled a plan to speed permitting for major infrastructure projects like oil pipelines, road expansions and bridges, one of the biggest deregulatory actions of the president’s tenure.
Under the rule proposed by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, federal agencies would not need to factor in the “cumulative impacts” of a project, which could include its impact on climate change, making it easier for major fossil fuel projects to sail through the approval process and avoid legal challenges.
“For the first time in over 40 years today we are issuing a new rule under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to completely overhaul the dysfunctional bureaucratic system that has created these massive obstructions,” Trump said.
The proposal to update how the NEPA, the 50-year bedrock federal environmental law, is implemented is part of the administration’s broader effort to cut regulations and oversight to boost the industry.
Senators Introduce Tribal Water Infrastructure Act to Rebuild Old Systems
Oregon’s two U.S. senators have introduced legislation to rebuild outdated water infrastructure systems for tribal communities in Oregon.
The Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act, introduced by Democrat senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, could directly benefit communities such as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which suffered multiple water failures this year.
“This legislation would throw a lifeline to tribes like Warm Springs that are in dire need of water infrastructure improvements to serve their tribal membership,” said Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Chairman Raymond Tsumpti.
Native American tribes in Oregon and across the West are suffering from inadequate water infrastructure, with aging drinking water treatment and distribution systems subjecting these communities
to serious problems.
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