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AAES FAST FACTS
August 23, 2002
August 23, 2002
August 23, 2002
Allison Salyer, editor
asalyer@aaes.org
WASHINGTON UPDATE
The Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry met in Washington this week in its third public meeting this year. The Commission discussed issues including but not limited to RDT&E Infrastructure, Space and Planetary Issues and general aviation. Additional information may be found at www.aerospacecommission.gov
The first of a powerful new breed of unmanned American rockets roared into space this week, successfully boosting a European TV satellite into orbit in the culmination of a $1.5 billion development program. Approximately a half an hour after lift off, the Hot Bird 6 communications satellite, built by Alcatel Space and owned by Eutelsat, was safely ejected into its planned preliminary orbit, ending the Atlas V phase of the mission. The satellite eventually will be maneuvered into its final orbit 22,300 miles above the equator by on-board thrusters. Lockheed Martin is relying on the successful debut of the Atlas V to bolster its position in the competitive launch marketplace, and the flight was equally important to the U.S. Air Force, which paid Lockheed and Boeing Co to design and build state of the art rockets to provide assured access to space for high priority military spy satellites and other payloads. Additional information may be found at www.washingtonpost.com
Secretary of State Colin Powell will lead the American delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Secretary Powell will be jointed by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality James Connaughton, Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew Natsios, and Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky. Additional information may be found at www.whitehouse.gov
Association News
IEEE-USA
On Aug. 20, IEEE-USA released a position statement on "Nondiscrimination in Employment Based on Genetic and Other Health Information." See: www.ieeeusa.org/forum/POSITIONS/geneticinformation.html
On July 29, IEEE-USA released a statement confirming its continuing opposition to the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) despite amendments to the proposed model state law passed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) at their annual meeting that week. See: www.ieeeusa.org/releases/2002/080902pr.html
In late July, IEEE-USA provided a statement for the record of a hearing by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's fee schedule adjustment and agency reform proposals. See: www.ieeeusa.org/forum/POLICY/index.html
ASME
NCSL EXHIBIT SHOWCASES ASME ISSUES TO STATE LEGISLATORS
"Engineers and Architects: Designing America's Future" was the theme of the booth at the National Conference of State Legislatures' Annual Meeting in late July. ASME, along with four other engineering and architectural professional societies, provided information to state legislators from across the country on issues of concern to ASME and its members.
Due to the recently passed federal education bill, education played a prominent role in this year's conference. Because of ASME's leadership role at the federal level on K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, the Board on Pre-college Education has issued a new state STEM education position paper entitled, "Improving K-12 STEM Education: Options for State Legislatures", which draws upon the general Society position paper, "Strengthening Pre-College Science, Math, Engineering and Technology Education: The Technological Literacy and Workforce Imperative," released in 2000.
The OPTIONS paper can be found at: www.asme.org/gric/ps.2002/02-29.html The full text of the general society position paper can be found at: www.asme.org/gric/ps/2000/00-08.html For more information, contact Melissa Murray at murraym@asme.org
ASCE
BACK HOME VISITS UPDATE
August has seen more than 35 ASCE members participate in Back Home Visits with their local U.S. Representatives. These meetings, held in Congressional districts across the country, were organized to give ASCE members opportunities to educate their elected officials on issues affecting civil engineering. In particular, members in South Carolina's 2nd district met with Rep. Joe Wilson (R) on August 12th and secured a commitment from the Congressman to support and cosponsor two bills on ASCE's priority list: The Hurricane, Tornado and Natural Hazards Research Act (H.R. 3592) and the Dam Safety and Security Act (H.R. 4727). In addition, a member from Tennessee's 2nd district met with Rep. John Duncan (R) to discuss the merits of adding qualifications based selection (QBS) processes to the Water Quality Financing Act (H.R. 3930), sponsored by Duncan.
While many successful meetings were conducted, several members who requested meetings were not able to schedule time with their Representatives during August. ASCE Government Relations staff will continue to set up meetings through the fall during shorter weekend breaks from legislative action. If you have any questions regarding the Back Home Visits program, contact Leslie Nolen at 202-789-2200 or lnolen@asce.org
PRIORITY ISSUES UPDATE
This week we continue our updates on ASCE's 2002 Priority Issues as approved by the Committee on Government Affairs and the Board of Direction. This week we provide the latest legislative and regulatory activity on Math and Science Education and Natural Hazards Impact Reduction. Next week's issue will focus on Procurement of Professional Services and Smart Growth.
Math and Science Education
ASCE actively participates in a coalition of engineering and science groups as well as industry and educational groups in an effort to boost the math and science components of the President's education reform agenda. The final bill authorized a $450 million a year program. The coalition was successful in ensuring that university engineering departments would be included as participants in the math and science partnerships between universities and local school systems. The partnerships are being set-up to improve math and science teaching methods and materials. For FY 2002, however, only $12.5 million was appropriated.
ASCE has worked closely with such members of Congress as Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Congressman Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) both to increase funding for math and science programs and on several new bills designed to improve math and science education.
Outlook:
Since the passage of last year's education authorization bill, the focus is on getting the appropriations process to match the authorization levels in the President's education legislation. Efforts by the engineering, scientific and education community to increase funding for the program have met with little success, and funding will likely remain at the FY 2002 level. There has been more success in increasing the scope and funding of programs of the National Science Foundation, where K-12 math and science programs will likely receive more than $200 million in FY 2003.
Natural Hazards Impact Reduction
H.R. 3592, the Hurricane, Tornado and Related Natural Hazards Research Act was introduced on December 20, 2001, and currently has 10 cosponsors. The bill would create a Natural Windstorm and Related Natural Hazard Impact Reduction Program. The bill was drafted by congressional staff associated with the Congressional Wind Hazard Reduction Caucus with considerable input from ASCE and other interested organizations.
ASCE, in leading the Wind Hazard Reduction Coalition, has sponsored Congressional briefings, developed fact sheets on tornadoes, hurricanes, and lessons learned from past wind events, as well as launched a new website www.windhazards.org
Outlook: The next step is for the House Science Committee to mark-up H.R. 3592. ASCE and the coalition are working with the Science Committee to move the move the bill after the August recess. Additionally, the ASCE-led coalition has begun to work with Senators to introduce companion legislation.
NSPE
AROUND THE AGENCIES - The Federal Register can be accessed at www.access.opo/su-docs/aces/fr-cont
A. Taxpayers Interest Sacrificed: The chair of the General Services Board of Contract Appeals (GSBCA) expressed his personal opinion that the procurement reforms of the 1990s have eroded the fundamental principles of the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) and sacrificed the best interests of the taxpayer for short term efficiencies and cost savings. He charged that "the guts have been ripped out" of CICA and that the statute's requirement for full and open competition in government procurements "has become a slogan, not a standard." The reforms were intended to bring more businesslike practices to government procurement. However, the fundamental principles of CICA have been ignored in the reforms. The text of Stephen Daniels speech is available at www.contracts.ogc.doc.gov/cld/othernews.html#papers
B. Despite Permits, Project Halted: A planned wastewater treatment system in Hanover County, VA may not be completed despite the project's authorization from the Corps of Engineers. The District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said that in issuing to the county certain permits for the activities related to the treatment project, the Corps did not take into account all impacts the project would have on wetlands. (Crutchfield v U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, E.D. Va., No. 3:02cr253, 8/7/02)
C. Everglades Project Delayed: The Corps of Engineers is suspending work on a major environmental project in the Everglades Restoration Plan until a property rights dispute involving another project is resolved. An effort to remove a number of manmade levees, canals and water control structures - the Decompartmentalization & Sheet Flow Enhancement (Decomp project) - could be delayed up to two years. The Corps cannot logically map out water flows from some Decomp projects until a final decision is made downstream regarding about 300 residences in an 8.5 square mile area, which has been the subject of property rights litigation for more than a decade.
D. Excavation Rule Under Review: The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) will review its excavation standard to determine whether it should be maintained, rescinded or modified in order to minimize "a significant impact of the rule on a substantial number of small entities." OSHA also wants to know whether the rule should be changed in any way to reduce its regulatory burden or improve its effectiveness. For details see the Federal Register for Wednesday, August 21, 2002 at page 54103.
TIDBITS
A. NSPE Executive Director Pat Natale, P.E. and Lee White, Director of Government Relations, met with Paula White, Director of Federal State Operations at OSHA to discuss the ergonomics rule, the Voluntary Protection Program and ways to increase interactions and alliances between OSHA and NSPE.
B. NSPE staff met with the minority staff of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee to encourage the addition of quality-based selection (QBS) language to pending Clean Water Act reauthorization legislation.