A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals
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AASHTO NEWS
Second Step Taken to Finalize New WOTUS Rule – AASHTO Journal
COVID-19
Is Coronavirus Reducing Noise Pollution? – Forbes
Coronavirus is not just a health crisis — it’s an environmental justice crisis – Grist
Filling a post-coronavirus commuting void with bike lanes: Working at home – Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio)
COVID19: smart mobility goes viral – 2025 AD (Commentary)
Environmental Justice During COVID-19: Communities bear extra burden – GreatLakesNow (Michigan)
McEachin Letter Urges HHS to Address Disparities in COVID-19 Outcomes for Environmental Justice Communities – Congressman Donald McEachin – House.gov (Virginia)
FEDERAL ACTION
All Projects Being Constructed Under Nationwide Permit 12 at Risk – JD Supra
EPA restores state water quality standards – The Lens (Washington)
Trump’s rewrite is finalized. What happens now? – E&E News
Unmanned Aerial Systems – FHWA
U.S. Transportation Officials Seek Alternative Tech for GPS – IEEE Spectrum
EPA finalizes rule officials fear will allow pollution of streams and wetlands – Colorado Springs Indy (Colorado)
TRB RESOURCES
Transportation, Environment, and Energy: An Integrated Research Symposium – Will not be held as scheduled – TRB
TRB Webinar: What Role Does Ecology Have in Sustainable Transportation? – TRB
TRB Webinar: Designing landscapes to enhance roadside water management – TRB
TRB Webinar: The intersection between health and transportation – TRB
NEPA
Stimulating Clean Infrastructure Through NEPA Reform – RealClear Energy
Environmental lawyer reflects on 50th anniversary of NEPA – ROI-NJ.com (New Jersey)
Close to Home: Don’t gut America’s fundamental environmental law – Press-Democrat (Commentary) (California)
California awards $500 million in transit and rail project grants – Mass Transit
Draft PEA On Snow, Soil Moisture Monitoring Network In The Upper Missouri River Basin Available For Comment – Yankton Daily Press and Dakotan (North Dakota)
Port NOLA Board of Commissioners Adopts PIER Plan – WGNO-TV (Louisiana)
INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Wood energy as a climate change solution – The Hill (Opinion)
Using Millions of Maggots to Slow Down Climate Change – Bloomberg Green (Subscription Required)
New Systems of Governance Are Needed to Address Climate Change – Government Executive
The Health Emergency That’s Coming to West Louisville – CityLab (Commentary) (Kentucky)
Ann Arbor council not ready to adopt A2Zero carbon-neutrality plan – MLive.com (Michigan)
Without fanfare, Houston unveils Climate Action Plan, shooting for carbon neutrality by 2050 – Houston Chronicle (Subscription Required (Texas))
State: Climate change to impact infrastructure, livestock, water – GoErie.com (Pennsylvania)
Bold investments in clean energy and transportation infrastructure will help lead us out of a recession – CalMatters (Commentary) (California)
Senate Committee Bills Would Steer Billions To Water Infrastructure – Waterways Journal
Florida’s climate change efforts ‘disjointed,’ former state resilience officer found – Tampa Bay Times (Florida)
Sunrise GW signs Earth Day letter supporting path to cut D.C. greenhouse gas emissions – The GW Hatchet (District of Columbia)
In the ‘climate refuge’ city of Duluth, a fight brews over the hometown utility – MinnPost (Minnesota)
50 years later, Earth Day’s unsolved problem: How to build a more sustainable world – MSN
50 Years of Earth Day: What’s Better Today, and What’s Worse – New York Times (Subscription Required)
ASU achieves carbon neutrality, ranked among most sustainable universities in the world – ASU Now (Arizona)
Earth Day 2020: Corvias Partnerships Supports Resiliency, Sustainability and Energy Independence – Olean Times Herald (Subscription Required)
AIR QUALITY
Air quality in US dramatically worse than in prior years, says new ‘State of the Air’ report – CNN
Washington has its cleanest spring air in 25 years: How air quality has improved during the coronavirus crisis – The Washington Post (Subscription Required)
Princeton scientist solves air quality puzzle: Why is ozone pollution persisting in Europe despite environmental laws banning it? – Princeton University
The coronavirus crisis means we may have already reached peak carbon – CNBC
Pioneering the possibilities: N.J.’s energy and resource leaders pave way for a clean, green future – Jersey’s Best (New Jersey)
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Washington State AG Ferguson Rolls Out Environmental Justice Initiative in Honor of Earth Day – Gonzaga University (Washington state)
SFR Elements: A look at disproportionate environmental impacts – Santa Fe Reporter (New Mexico)
An Earth Day Conversation About Environmental Justice With Pioneer Vernice Miller-Travis – Union of Concerned Scientists (Blog)
HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
TAAR helps fund Norte program – Traverse City Record-Eagle (Michigan)
Billings trails connecting community to outdoors in time of pandemic – Billings Gazette (Montana)
SF Opens Select Streets to Pedestrians, Bicyclists Amid Pandemic – KNTV-TV video (California)
Could better measures mean better management for urban micro-mobility options? – Mass Transit
Connecticut DOT Marks Earth Day 2020 – The Newtown Bee (Connecticut)
WATER QUALITY/WETLANDS
Establishing a statewide water quality database – High Plains Journal (Kansas) (Subscription Required)
New Opportunity: Prairie Pothole Water Quality and Wildlife Program – NewsDakota.com (North Dakota)
WILDLIFE & ECOSYSTEMS
Fresh Forest Regrowth May Offset Climate Hit From Australia Fires – Bloomberg Green (Subscription Required)
Lake Elsinore at highest level since 2012 after rising 6 feet – The Press-Enterprise (California)