ACEC/PAC Achieves Record Year— Donor "Honor Role" Below ACEC Chairman Bill Howard 2004 will be a record year for ACEC/PAC, with a fundraising total approaching $200,000. This represents the highest single-year fundraising total in the history of ACEC/PAC. Coupled with the dollars raised in 2003, ACEC/PAC was able to provide $326,000 to key House and Senate members during the most recent federal election cycle. Independent giving to federal candidates through the new ACEC/PAC Chairman's Club and state efforts added nearly $300,000 more to the total, putting ACEC's political program for the 2003-2004 election cycle in excess of $600,000. The enhanced political effort helped to achieve a number of wins in 2004, including the new nine percent tax deduction for A/E firms, new FLSA regulations, enhanced infrastructure spending, and the defeat of major anti-contracting out initiatives. The expanded political program also lays the groundwork for the Council's aggressive agenda in the new Congress, with an emphasis on passing a multi-year highway bill, tort reform, and additional beneficial tax changes. "By giving to ACEC/PAC, and participating in ACEC-sponsored events through the Chairman's Club and other activities, we help to shape the agenda in Congress, rather than be led by it," said ACEC Chairman Bill Howard. Click here for a complete list of members who donated to ACEC/PAC in 2004. Click here for members who donated by state. For information on how to add your name to these lists before the year's end, and have it published in Engineering Inc., contact ACEC/PAC Director Jenny Sheffield at jsheffield@acec.org or 202-347-7474.

California Wins "Contracting-Out" Court Victories—Minuteman Fund Support "Critical" Paul Meyer, Executive Director of CELSOC   CELSOC has won significant victories in two contracting-out cases at the California trial court level. In PECG v. Morales, the court denied injunctive relief to the union of state engineers seeking to impose restrictions on contracting out by California state agencies. In CELSOC v. PECG, the court granted to CELSOC a permanent injunction prohibiting PECG and the state agencies from implementing provisions that violate California's Proposition 35 (which permits state agencies to contract out engineering services). Through the Minuteman Fund, ACEC provided strong support for the successful 2000 enactment of Prop 35 and CELSOC's continuing efforts to defend contracting-out in the state as new challenges arise. "These recent trial court victories are very important for us. ACEC's support was critical," said Paul Meyer, Executive Director of CELSOC. "PECG has now filed appeals in these two cases, which will take some time to work their way through the process. But we are confident in our position."

ACEC To Review State DOT Cost Recovery Procedures ACEC has convened a task force of transportation experts to review a pending U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General audit on the error/omissions and cost recovery procedures of state DOTs. The audit, which is focused specifically on design engineers, is expected to be released early next year. The task force is comprised of members from ACEC's Transportation Committee and Risk Management Committee. The task force will spearhead ACEC's response to the IG's audit and develop a toolkit of model cost recovery procedures for use by the state organizations. The purpose of the audit is to: review state DOT and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) procedures for handling and recovering costs from errors and omissions; determine how much funding has been recovered by state DOTs from errors and omissions; and determine how much federal funding has been returned to FHWA. Four state DOTs were audited (Illinois, Virginia, Texas and Florida), and the Inspector General's office will make recommendations to FHWA on improving cost recovery practices. For more information on this issue, contact T.J. Schulz, ACEC's Director of Transportation Programs, at 202-347-7474.

ACEC/EPA Discuss Innovative Remediation Technologies Project managers and technical experts from ACEC member firms participated in the second in a series of joint meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on innovative remediation technologies. The December 8 meeting brought together approximately 30 ACEC experts and officials with EPA's Office of Technology Innovation, the "engineering division" of EPA's Superfund program. The meeting focused on innovative technologies and approaches being used in the field to detect the presence of Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs), a prevalent form of contamination that is often difficult to locate and remediate. "This is a way for our members to provide practical know-how to EPA and help shape Agency policy," said ACEC Environmental Business Committee Chairman Craig Crotteau. "In the end, it benefits EPA, ACEC, and the remediation industry." Dr. Walt Kovalick, Director of EPA's Office of Technology Innovation said: "Our objectives for these meetings are to share views on technical best practices for site cleanup and identify and remove barriers to achieving a higher level of performance." The EPA Office of Technology Innovation provides policy leadership at EPA and facilitates use of innovative site characterization and remediation technologies in the clean-up of abandoned waste sites under Superfund. The joint meetings with ACEC will continue on a regular basis, with each meeting focusing on a specific remediation issue.

Small Firm Council's Winter Meeting Set For February The popular Small Firm Council (SFC) Winter Meeting and Principals' Seminars have been set for February 11-12, 2005 in Phoenix, AZ. As the centerpiece of the meeting, SFC is building upon the success of its previous two meetings by establishing valuable educational seminars specifically for small firm owners. The upcoming Winter Meeting will delve into two popular topics discussed at previous meetings—developing successful project proposals and managing human resources in a small firm. "The tailored seminars are an ideal fit for small firm principals who need an intense and concise seminar that provides new insights and practical techniques in management areas," says Cathy Ritter of Constellation Design Group. "By taking the time to attend the SFC meetings, I always learn new ideas to implement in my firm." Further information about the SFC Winter Meeting is available by contacting Roger Jordan at 202-347-7474 or rjordan@acec.org.