A roundup of headlines curated for state transportation environmental professionals
Tell us what you think of the new ETAP Newsletter by taking this short survey!
HOT TOPICS
‘Hole in the data’: Coronavirus fight puts environmental fieldwork on hold – StarTribune
Federal Judge Prohibits Use of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Nationwide Permit 12 for Utility and Pipeline Projects – National Law Review
Integrating Tribal Expertise into Processes to Identify, Evaluate, and Record Cultural Resources – National Cooperative Highway Research Program (Report Announcement)
COVID-19
Water quality could change in buildings closed down during COVID-19 pandemic, engineers say – Purdue University
COVID-19 Draining The Highway Trust Fund – Yahoo Finance
Detroit’s poor air quality could be worsening the city’s COVID-19 outbreak – WJBK
How COVID-19 will redesign urban mobility – GreenBiz
How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the face of transportation in cities – Tech Republic
Waze Community Deploys Data To Aid The Global Fight Against COVID-19 – Forbes
Businesses, groups call on INDOT to stop planning highway project during coronavirus pandemic – Indianapolis Star
New Data Show Air Pollution Drop Around 50 Percent In Some Cities During Coronavirus Lockdown – Forbes
Coronavirus lockdown gives animals rare break from noise pollution – Deutsche Welle
How One Mobility Innovator Is Supporting Cities And Envisioning The Post-Coronavirus Future – Forbes
Wary of public transport, coronavirus-hit Americans turn to bikes – Reuters
Coronavirus lockdowns have sent pollution plummeting. Environmentalists worry about what comes next. – NBC News
The Pandemic Could Be an Opportunity to Remake Cities – Wired
WATER QUALITY/WETLANDS
Vice Chair Appointed for AASHTO Water Council – AASHTO Journal
County approves NFM water quality project – North Fort Myers Neighbor
INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE and SUSTAINABILITY
Weakening environmental reviews for transportation infrastructure is a bridge too far – Brookings (Commentary)
Get Ready for More, Longer Blackouts – Bloomberg Green (Limited access, Subscription Required)
Summertime Heat to Florida’s Early Spring – Bloomberg Green (Limited access, Subscription Required)
Why Can’t We Build Infrastructure Cheaply, Quickly and Well? – Governing (Opinion)
TRB Webinar: Greener in many ways: Environmentally sustainable funding and financing – Transportation Research Board
As Other Carmakers Retrench, Volvo’s Battery Lab Plugs Away – Wired
AIR QUALITY/GHG/ENERGY
EPA retains Obama-era air quality standards despite staff questions of adequacy – The Hill
How will reduced activity affect air quality and the environment? – Johns Hopkins University
NC State professor says more people will die if air quality standards left unchanged – North Carolina Health News
Shell Sets Bolder Emissions Goal Even as Virus Hits Oil – Bloomberg
Agriculture’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks – Farm Bureau
New Website Will Help Steer the U.S. Away From Fossil Fuels – Columbia University
California Cities Install EV Chargers as Symbol of Future – Governing
City Planning $5.25 Million Solar Farm At Moccasin Bend Sewage Treatment Plant – Daily Chattanoogan
Funds from Regional Clean-Energy Initiative to Electrify NJ’s Transportation Sector – NJ Spotlight
NOISE
Traffic noise reduces bats’ ability to feed – The Guardian
FAA Supersonic Proposal Draws Environmentalist Ire – AINonline
As Online Buying Surges, So Do Noisy Cargo Flights – The New York Times (subscription required)
What’s that annoying buzz? PennDOT considers daytime construction after noise complaints – Billypenn.com
FEDERAL ACTIVITY/FUNDING & FINANCE
An infrastructure stimulus will make America more resilient, if we get it right – Environmental Defense Fund (blog)
Highway Users urges Congress to invest in infrastructure in next stimulus package -Transportation Today
Gazette opinion: Now’s the time to rebuild and re-employ – Billings Gazette
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Environmental Justice Inseparable from Economic Justice – TAP into Bloomfield (Press release)
4 Principles for Environmental Justice: Lessons from Hawai‘I – Nonprofit Quarterly
Recent & Recommended Books on Environmental Justice – The Washington Informer
50 Years On, Earth Day’s Legal Legacy Looms Large – Earthjustice
EPA Pandemic Enforcement Policy Draws Environmental Lawsuit – Bloomberg Green (Limited access, Subscription Required)
INVASIVE SPECIES/VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
Boaters still required to stop at aquatic invasive species inspection stations – KTVZ
Controlling Invasives: States urge residents to help stop spread of invasive species – GreatLakesNow
HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
Public transit’s “road to recovery” could include more ridesharing partnerships says DePaul study – Mass Transit
An “Under-21” position is open on the state’s Bike/Ped Advisory Committee – Oregon DOT
Bike Walk Savannah giving free bikes to essential workers left without transportation – WSAV-TV
Companies Pull Scooters from Atlanta After City Order – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Helsinki smart mobility pilots deemed a success – Intelligent Transport
Active transportation plan coming to Sandy and Draper – Sandy Journal
Santa Barbara City Council supports grant applications for safety improvement projects – Santa Barbara News-Press
Madison traffic lanes to close to help cyclists and pedestrians keep social distance – WKOW
Philly should close streets to cars, open space for social distancing, advocates say – WHYY
Anyone Feel Like Saving Electric Scooters? – CityLab
Lime reactivates scooter fleets around the world – Intelligent Transport
WASTE MANAGEMENT/RECYCLING
Garbage Pickups Tell a Tale of Two Cities, With Part of Manhattan Shrinking – The City
Building a circular economy: five key concepts – National Geographic
Murphy signs bill to boost food waste recycling in New Jersey – NJBIZ
Plastics Had Been Falling Out of Favor. Then Came the Virus – Bloomberg Green (Limited access, Subscription Required)