The President’s 2012 budget proposal, announced this week, seeks significant expansion of transportation funding, although sources of revenue are not specified.

Most other federal infrastructure programs are either funded at current levels or reduced.

At the same time, the House is seeking to impose even deeper cuts to infrastructure.

"The Government’s actions are a serious challenge to our industry, requiring us to fight for every infrastructure dollar," said ACEC President Dave Raymond. "This is priority number one for us, and our members coming to Washington, D.C. for the Annual Convention in March will be here at a critical juncture in the infrastructure debate, which underscores the need for a strong industry turn-out."

The Administration’s budget proposal calls for a $551 billion six-year surface transportation program—a 66 percent increase for U.S. DOT programs. Highway programs would receive $69.97 billion in 2012, a 70 percent increase in funding over current levels.

The package also includes a $53 billion multi-year commitment for high speed rail projects.

The Administration is also proposing to fold the Highway Trust Fund into a new Transportation Trust Fund that would fund high-speed rail, Amtrak, and TIGER intermodal grants, in addition to the traditional highway and transit programs.

The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) accounts, which provide capitalization grants to states for water and sewer projects, were significantly cut in the President’s budget proposal.

The Clean Water SRF was reduced to $1.55 billion, a cut of $550 million from FY2011. The Drinking Water SRF, currently funded at $1.387 billion, would be cut to $990 million, a reduction of nearly $400 million.

Total funding for the Corps of Engineers Civil Works program was reduced, including a reduction in the construction account from the current level of $2.017 billion to $1.48 billion. The Superfund Remedial Action site cleanup program was cut by $31 million to $575 million from the current year.

Nuclear energy is among the few big winners in the DOE budget request, which calls for $36 billion in loan guarantees for six to eight new nuclear reactors. The White House request includes $192 million in research and license funding for nuclear reactor technologies, including small modular reactors.

The Environmental Management (EM) program, which provides funding to clean up nuclear weapons sites at several locations around the country, would receive $5.4 billion, a $232 million cut from the current year.

Funding for military construction in 2012 would take a significant cut in the President’s budget, dropping from $21 billion in 2010 to just over $13 billion in 2012.

While overall spending for the Department of Veterans Affairs increases, the construction account would drop from $1.98 billion to $1.27 billion in 2012.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee included Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) language in the three-year reauthorization of FAA construction and other programs that passed this week. The House is expected to take up the bill in March.

The Committee adopted an ACEC-backed amendment endorsing the use of QBS for airport projects funded through Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs). Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funded projects already must use QBS.

The bill would reduce funding for AIP grants from the current level of $3.5 billion to $3 billion per year, while including slight funding increases for operations, facilities and equipment. Companion legislation in the Senate would increase AIP funding to over $4 billion per year.

For small firms seeking federal market business, the “Teaming Fair” on April 1 at the ACEC 2011 Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., is a perfect opportunity.

According to Major Clark of the Small Business Administration: “ACEC’s Large Firm/Small Firm Teaming Fair offers an ideal opportunity for small engineering companies to identify new business opportunities with federal agencies, and aids larger firms in identifying qualified small firm partners to fulfill teaming needs and federal contracting requirements. I applaud this effort and encourage firms to take full advantage of the opportunities presented at the Fair.”

Representatives of many large firms—including AECOM, Jacobs, STV, CDM, CH2M HILL, HDR, KCI, Wilbur Smith, Michael Baker, and Hanson—will conduct one-on-one interviews with small-firm representatives based upon pre-scheduled appointments. Small firms interested in participating should register for it at the same time that they register for the Convention—the sooner the better—as appointments will be made in the order they are requested.

To register for the Annual Convention and the Teaming Fair, click here.

The Engineering Excellence Awards Gala, to be held on April 1, 2011, is always one of the highlights of the ACEC Convention.

The 161 National Recognition Award Winners in the 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) will be honored at the black-tie EEA Gala on April 1, during the the upcoming 2011 Annual Convention in Washington, D.C.

Eight “Grand Award” winning projects will compete for EEA’s highest honor, the Grand Conceptor Award: Research Support Facility, National Renewable Energy Lab, Golden, Colo., Stantec Consulting Services; Target Field, Minneapolis, Minn., Walter P Moore; Wards Island SHARON Facility, New York, N.Y., AECOM; Pelton Round Butte Selective Water Withdrawal, Madras, Ore., CH2M HILL; Hoover Dam Bypass, Boulder City, Nev., HDR., T.Y. Lin International and Jacobs Engineering; U.S. 17 Washington Bypass Design-Build Project, Washington, N.C., AECOM; Auburn, Maine Bridge-in-a-Backpack, Auburn, Maine, Kleinfelder/S E A Consultants; and Cellulosic Biofuels Plant, Soperton, Ga., Merrick & Company.

Sixteen “Honor Award” winners will also be recognized at the EEA Gala.

Convention registrants must have a ticket to attend the EEA Gala. For more information about the ACEC 2011 Annual Convention and the EEA Gala, click here.

February 17, 1:30-3 p.m.

Engineering firms face increasingly onerous indemnification and duty to defend provisions in their contracts with clients. Some of these provisions are not only unfair, but also uninsurable. Firms must be more careful than ever in what they agree to, because they can be putting their firms in jeopardy when they sign on the dotted line.

On February 17, ACEC presents the timely and important risk management online seminar, The Perfect Storm—A Bad Lawsuit, A Bad Contract, Indemnification and the Duty to Defend. Christine Drage, an attorney with Weil & Drage, APC, will focus on what every A/E professional needs to know about indemnification and duty to defend provisions in public and private professional services contracts.

This seminar is an important update on how to manage your risk, and a must for principals, contract administrators, legal counsel and others involved in aspects of contract creation and negotiation for A/E firms of all sizes. Click here to register.

ACEC members can now save more than 15 percent on annual and multi-year MedjetAssist memberships. MedjetAssist is the premier medical evacuation and repatriation membership program for travelers.

As a MedjetAssist member, if you become hospitalized more than 150 miles from home virtually anywhere in the world and require continued hospitalization, MedjetAssist will arrange medical transfer to the hospital of your choice.

If you are attending the ACEC 2011 Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., March 30-April 2, make sure to sign up before you leave home.

Discounted annual MedjetAssist memberships start at $205 for an individual (a savings of $45) and $325 for a family (a savings of $60). Click here to enroll at the ACEC discounted rate, or call 800-527-7478 and mention ACEC.

ACEC’s online seminar Responding to Requests for Discounts or Unilateral Fee Reductions drew more than 160 Member Firm participants. To purchase and download the recorded session, click here.

In the program, P. Douglas Folk of Folk & Associates outlined the ways firms can deal with client requests for discounts or reducations, including legal challenges and the application of Federal Acquisition Regulations.