The newsletter will be published under the nameplate of the North American Concrete Alliance (NACA), which was co-founded by the three associations, according to a joint announcement by the three association CEO’s, Bob Garbini, P.E., (NRMCA), Jay Gleason (PCA), and Jerry Voigt, P.E., (ACPA).

NACA Government Affairs Team to Meet with Senate Leaders

Next week EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK), ranking member Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Chairman Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-MO) and Subcommittee ranking member Senator Max Baucus will meet with the NACA Government Affairs staff, in conjunction with the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) and Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM), to discuss strategy for the Senate floor debate, which is expected to begin by the end of April.

The Committee, which returned from Easter break this week, turned to finalizing their so-called TEA-21 reauthorization bill report in preparation for full consideration by the Senate. The bill, Safe Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 (SAFETEA), was recently passed by the Committee.

Key to the EPW leaders' strategy will be whether to try and increase the SAFETEA funding level from $283.9 billion, which the Committee set to get the bill moving forward. This is the funding level in the TEA-21 reauthorization bill passed by the House and that President Bush said he would accept. Senator Inhofe and several other key Senators have indicated they believe the $318 billion level, which was passed by the Senate last year, is still what the nation needs.

For more information contact Dave Hubbard, Kevin Voelte, or Charles Chambers.

NACA Urges Participation in Fly-In

With Senate consideration of TEA-21 reauthorization expected to begin soon, the timing is right for the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-In, scheduled for April 26 and 27.

Members and affiliates are urged to participate in the event to advocate for this legislation. Your participation is critical, as Congress must continue to hear from their constituents on this critical matter.

Please take advantage of online registration for TCC today at http://www.blueskyz.com/tcc2005. Registrants also are encouraged to set up meetings with their Members of Congress as soon as possible.

Prior to the Fly-In, several NACA members will hold a Concrete Industry Session on April 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This session will focus on issues critical to the concrete and cement industries. Examples include: the power take-off tax correction, drivers' hours of service, and sustainable development.

Several Members of Congress are expected to speak at the session, so your attendance is strongly encouraged. For a TCC Fly-In registration brochure, please contact Kevin Voelte at 1-888-846-7622, ext.1152.

For more information about the event, contact Charles Chambers, Dave Hubbard, or Kevin Voelte.

Mercury Rule Opposition Grows

A final mercury rule announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in early March was published this week in the Federal Register.

The rule is designed to reduce mercury emissions from utilities via a cap-and-trade program. This type of program allows for more flexibility in compliance and may be indicative of the approach taken by EPA if they apply mercury emissions rules to other industries. In contrast, environmentalists would prefer strict emission reduction targets.

Although EPA may support a market-based emission trading program for regional pollutants with less severe acute toxicological effects-such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, or carbon dioxide, the agency support has not been extended to the treatment of mercury.

This week, several environmental groups asked EPA to withdraw the rule, joining previous opponents that include key Democratic senators and a bipartisan group from the House of Representatives.

For more information contact Tom Carter at 202.408.9494.

ACPA
202.457.0212

Charles Chambers
ext. 105
cchambers@pavement.com

PCA
202.408.9494

Tom Carter
ext. 137
tcarter@cement.org

Andy O'Hare
ext. 133
aohare@cement.org

David Hubbard
ext. 131
dhubbard@cement.org

Mark Washko
ext. 111
mwashko@cement.org

Washington Briefing is published weekly by the North American Concrete Alliance.

info@washingtonbriefing.com