Congressman Larson Introduces the “America Wins Act”
November 14, 2017
Earlier this month, Congressman John Larson (D-CT) introduced H.R.4209, the America Wins Act – a bill which would invest $1 trillion, through taxing harmful pollution, in our infrastructure over a decade. Under this legislation, $400 billion will be invested in existing federal highway programs and eliminate the $138 billion Highway Trust Fund (HTF) shortfall; $100......
Kelly Barnes Dam Failure: Dam Safety Then and Now
November 06, 2017
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Kelly Barnes Dam failure: an event that acted as a catalyst for improvement in dam safety. On November 6, 1977, Toccoa Falls Bible College was nearly swept away as high water erupted through the defects in the Kelly Barnes Dam, sending 25-foot waves through the campus. This tragedy......
Advocating on the Hill for Funding of Critical Dam Programs
July 31, 2017
In an effort to raise the Dams grade, which received a “D” in the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, ASCE and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) spent two days on Capitol Hill last week advocating for funding the High Hazard Potential Dam Rehabilitation Program and the National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) – programs......
Sens. Hoeven and Wyden Reintroduce Move America Act
June 05, 2017
Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently re-introduced their Move America Act to expand the availability of tax-exempt bonds and create a new tax credit, bringing more private capital into infrastructure and giving states more flexibility to pursue infrastructure projects. The legislation creates Move America Bonds, expanding private activity bonds, which encourage private......
It’s National Dam Safety Awareness Day
May 31, 2017
In early 2017, the nation watched as nearly 200,000 residents evacuated the area below California’s Oroville Dam. The high-profile incident brought increased attention to the many challenges facing our nation’s dams, most recently graded a “D” in the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. Lessening risk and increasing information are major strides we can take to raise......
Infrastructure Week: Time to Build
May 15, 2017
The fifth annual Infrastructure Week is underway. More than 100 events are being held around the country this week, with the goal of elevating infrastructure as a critical issue impacting all Americans. Things kicked off Monday morning with an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, featuring Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Los Angeles Mayor Eric......
Louisiana Report Card Gives Infrastructure a “D+”
April 26, 2017
The Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers released the 2017 Report Card for Louisiana Infrastructure on April 26. To assign grades, 50 volunteer civil engineers from across the state analyzed 11 categories of infrastructure over 18 months. Scores ranged from a “C+” for Dams and Solid Waste to a “D-” in Drinking......
House Energy & Commerce Committee Holds Infrastructure Hearings
March 21, 2017
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy & Commerce Committee held hearings focused on infrastructure. Among them were two featuring ASCE members’ testimonies—both focusing on the newly released Infrastructure Report Card. These hearings came as Congress continues to consider how best to improve our nation’s infrastructure, in part because of President Trump’s interest in......
Welcome to the New InfrastructureReportCard.org
March 09, 2017
In conjunction with the release of the 2017 grades, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is relaunching InfrastructureReportCard.org. We invite you to explore all the new site has to offer, including an overview of the 16 infrastructure categories and ASCE’s solutions for how to raise the national grade. The site showcases the 2017 Report......
Infrastructure in the News: No Rest for Weary Infrastructure
February 17, 2017
Romantic dates, the Grammy awards and celebrating black history are not the only milestones of this week; the Oroville dam crisis in California and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA)’s 2017 national bridge report are drawing equal media attention. The recent Oroville dam crisis in California, captured by sources like National Geographic, Los......