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October 23 2010 Vol. VI • No. 22
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Miscalculations in Calif. Law Causes Delay
Inside
By Brenda Ruggiero
FAE USA Holds Annual West Coast Demo Day...19
CEG CORRESPONDENT
A view of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge from downstream of the Hoover Dam.
Minnich Dust System Helps Operator, Environment...28
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) A soaring bridge that will let drivers bypass Hoover Dam — and steer clear of its security checkpoints and gawking tourists — is set to open after nearly eight
Table of Contents ........4 Paving Section......11-17 Trailer Section ......29-34 Auction Section....45-51 Business Calendar ....49 Advertisers Index ......50
ture ... All we need is the political will.” Obama is proposing a $50 billion plan as an initial step toward a six-year program of transportation programs. It calls for building, fixing or maintaining thousands of miles of roads, rail lines and airport runways, along with installing a new air navigation system to reduce travel delays, and other projects. The president unveiled the idea over Labor Day. The event amounted to another chance to see PROPOSAL page 42
see LAW page 10
Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Project Recaches Conclusion By Oskar Garcia
JLG Nets $40M Marine Corps. Contract...36
It was recently announced that the California Air Resources Board (ARB) miscalculated pollution levels by 340 percent in a scientific analysis that prompted harsher clean air standards for the state. Regulations adopted by the board in 2007 particularly affected the construction industry, since businesses were required to cut diesel emissions by replacing or making upgrades to heavy-duty diesel off-road vehicles. The announcement was made in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported that a faulty method of calculation was used. However, the board attributed the error to calculations that were taken before the recession. “The 2007 estimate of emissions from construction equipment was recently cut in half due to reduced activity and fewer vehicles in the fleet during the recession,” said Karen Caesar, information officer for the ARB. “This had nothing to do with faulty science or calculations — the equipment wasn’t being used or had been sold due to lack of business, thus emissions were lower by half.” Caesar explained that the emission estimate was cut in half again because new data became available that suggested equipment was used less aggressively (at lower power) than data available in 2007 had indicated. “Lower power means lower emissions,” she said. “It is correct that if ARB had checked fuel usage (a different way of estimated emissions) this problem could have been identified in 2007. ARB will use this cross-check in future inventories to better ensure their accuracy.” A statement from the Associated
years and $240 million worth of work. The 1,900-ft. (580-m) engineering wonder perched 890 ft. (270 m) above the Colorado River is expected to drastically cut travel time along the main route between Las Vegas and Phoenix, as motorists will no longer have to make their way see BYPASS page 10
Obama Touts $50B, Six-Year Transportation Program Proposal WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama on Oct. 11 lobbied for Republican support from Capitol Hill for a burst of spending on transportation projects, calling his proposal a jobs creator for the middle class and an overdue investment in the country’s foundation. “There’s no reason why we can’t do this,” Obama said in a brief Rose Garden event. “There’s no reason why the world’s best infrastructure should lie beyond our borders. This is America. We’ve always had the best infrastruc-