ERMUSR Misc Issues 04-12-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REPORT CARD (continued front pale 1) approximately 2.2 billion Mg per year-rnvestment to watei resources projects has failed to keep pace with economic and population growth. More than $125 billion will be needed to replace the current system of locks to accommodate present and Cuture levels of waterborne traffic, experts say. Given the substantial upsurge in ridership in recent years, pubhc transportation also cries out for implovement. The Federal Transit Adminis- tration estimates that more than $20 billion is required for mass transit systems to adequately meet demands.While America faces an $11-bi1- hon annual shortfall in the amount needed to replace aging dunking water infrastructure so that federal water regulations can be met, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ern) estimates that the nation will have to invest $390 billion over the next two decades to build new wastewater management systems and replace old ones. More than $90 billion will be needed each year to improve roads, the parlous state of which requires Americans to sacrifice 3 5 billion hours each year to traffic delays. Moreover, according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Energy, the nation's energy infrastructure "is in urgent need of modernization"The report acknowledges that the current U.S. energy transmission system "has become congested because growth in electricity demand and investment in new gen- eration facilities have not been matched by investment in new transmission facilities." Although investment in transmission lines over the next decade is expected to be at least $3-bil- Lon ayear, the miles of transmission lines added will be equivalent to dust one-third of the growth in electricity demand, according to the Consumer Energy Council of America. The infrastructure supporting hazardous waste cleanup is badly in need of federal fund- ing. Even though there are 1,200 toxic waste vies on the ten's National Priorities Ltst and more than 10,000 sites could end up in the Superfund program, federal subsidies for cleanup have decreased steadily since 199b, the level today being no higher than in 1986.What is more, the Govermnent Accountability Offce (formerly the General Accounting Office) recently estimated chat after 20 years and out- lays of more than $14 billion, the Superfund program has still not completed cleanup work on 42 percent of the nation's most severely con- tanunated hazardous waste sites. While the grades in this year's assessment for bridges (C), dams (D), and sohd waste (C+) matched those in 2001, the appraisals for avia- tion (D to D+) and schools (lll- to D) increased slitihdy. Although not assessed in 2007, rail and pubhc parks and recreation both earned a C-. The security of critical facets of our nation's infrastructure, also a new category, received an I (for incomplete) because the data needed for accurate evaluations are not readily available to engineering professionals. Such information would help engineers design, build, and operate infrasnucture that is more secure. "Just as President Reagan appointed the first national coinmisvon on the infrastructure, Icall on President Bush and Congress to demonstrate similar leadership through the appointment of a new federal canmission to develop America's infrasn ucture agenda for the twenty-first centu- ry;'said William P Henry, P.E., nsct's president. "With strong national leadership [ am confident chat our nation's infrastructure will once again provide the foundation for prosperity and the quality of Lfe that all Americans expect" For more information about nsc~'s 2005 Reyort Card for,9merica's Ir frasuucture, please visit www.infrastructurereportcard.org or e-mail reportcard@asce. -161ark Fitzgerald