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$37 Billion Clean Water Trust Bill Introduced Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) An ACEC-supported $37 billion water infrastructure bill was introduced in the House of Representatives this week by Congressman John Duncan (R-TN). The Clean Water Trust Act authorizes federal funding over five years for wastewater infrastructure through the creation of a dedicated trust fund. The Water Infrastructure Network (WIN), a coalition of water industry groups of which ACEC is a founding member, assisted in the drafting of this legislation. Duncan chairs the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, and has long championed an increased federal investment in water infrastructure. While federal programs for highway and airport projects are supported by dedicated revenue streams and trust funds, no such mechanisms exist at the federal level to support water projects. Federal funding for wastewater projects is subject to available general fund revenue, and has actually decreased slightly in recent years as Congress struggles with rising budget deficits. The Clean Water Trust Act seeks to address this situation through the creation of a water trust fund. While a number of financing options have been discussed, the bill is currently silent on the question of a revenue source, leaving the issue for consideration by the House and Senate tax writing committees. Money from the new trust fund would be distributed through EPA's current State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) program. ACEC also was successful in including QBS language in the package, clarifying that engineering work for projects funded through the SRF program must be procured in accordance with the Brooks Act. "A water infrastructure trust fund makes sense," said Paul Grosser, vice-chairman of ACEC's Environmental Business Committee. "It significantly boosts investment in water, while not adversely affecting the federal budget. Introduction of this bill is a big step in ACEC's ongoing effort to bring about a meaningful solution to the water infrastructure funding gap."

CASE Convocation Takes Step To Battle Claims Against Structural Engineers More than 130 attendees at the CASE Convocation held in November in Dallas were provided with important tips to combat the increasing number of claims against structural engineers. Statistics show that the average claim for structural engineering firms has soared above the average for other engineering disciplines. Homes, townhouses, shopping centers/restaurants, office buildings and condos represent the projects where the most frequent claims against structural engineers occur. "In recent years, the average paid claim for structural engineering firms has soared above the average for other engineering disciplines," said Gregg Bundschuh, a Convocation speaker and a partner with the Atlanta-based Ames & Gouch insurance agency. "In 2003, the average cost of the defense and indemnity for paid claims was almost 30 percent higher for structural engineering firms than for other engineering firms." The trend will continue unless structural engineers become more aware of all the avenues of risk involved in structural engineering, Bundschuh said. To address this trend, structural engineers need to be aware of the following areas of risk: Special structures such as cantilevers require special vigilance and special construction procedures; Special superimposed loads should be stated on the construction drawings; Fast-track projects require special vigilance; Work with other disciplines (i.e. electrical) must be completely coordinated. Further Convocation coverage is available at www.acec.org/case.

Kansas Coalition Named 2005 QBS Grant Award Winner A coalition led by ACEC has selected the Kansas QBS Coalition as a recipient of a $4,000 QBS Grant to assist the state with its efforts to establish a QBS promotional program. The Kansas QBS Coalition, comprised of ACEC/Kansas, APWA/Kansas, AIA/Kansas, and the Kansas Professional Engineers in Private Practice (PEPP), was selected to receive the grant based on a grant application that detailed an aggressive plan for advancing the use of QBS within the state. The Kansas coalition plans to hire a facilitator to assist them with their QBS educational initiatives, which includes hosting seminars in conjunction with the University of Kansas, the Kansas Association of Counties, the League of Kansas Municipalities, and the Kansas DOT. The QBS Grant Program was established in 1989 to assist states with the creation of programs and materials that are instrumental in familiarizing public owners with the QBS process and broadening the use of QBS among state and local agencies. Since its inception the program has been the main vehicle several states use to educate state agencies and members of the state legislatures about the benefits of QBS. Grants allocated to the states help to pay for meeting and conference costs, QBS publications, and grassroots efforts. "It's a great investment by ACEC," said Lester Fukuda of Hawaii Pacific Engineers and one of the QBS Grant Program judges. "Through the grant program, ACEC has leveraged over $400,000 to help states educate public owners and local legislators on the QBS process and its benefits."

Copyright © 2005 by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photographic, or other means without the prior written permission of ACEC.

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