transportation

Jobs: Obama Administration Announces Selection of Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project and 13 Others to be Expedited Through Permitting/Review Process

October 12, 2011 by Democracy for N...

Yesterday, the Obama Administration announced the selection of 14 infrastructure projects around the country that will be expedited through permitting and environmental review processes. The administration says it's an important next step in its efforts to improve the efficiency of federal reviews needed to help job-creating infrastructure projects move as quickly as possible from the drawing board to completion. 

One of the 14 selected for expedition is the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project, which will build two water treatment plants and deliver water through approximately 280 miles of pipeline, 24 pumping plants and numerous water regulation and storage facilities bringing a clean and sustainable water supply to the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico. The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation will work to improve coordination between Federal and non-federal entities and to expedite land acquisition through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Land Management.

Congressman Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District applauded the move by the Obama Administration.

Moving Planet Virginia a Big Success!

October 7, 2011 by ArticleXI

On Sept. 24th, the Sierra Club joined 350.org, thousands of activists and millions of people around the globe in "Moving Planet" events. Moving Planet was a worldwide rally to demand solutions to the climate crisis - a single day to move away from fossil fuels with clean energy solutions like Virginia's offshore wind power!

Virginians came on bikes, on skates, on boards, and on foot - all anxious to be part of something huge and fun, and helpful in getting our planet moving on the climate crisis.

In Alexandria, the day's festivities celebrated the fact that in September, plans were announced to retire the GenOn coal-fired power plant located in Alexandria by October of next year.

In Fairfax, activists pushed for more transportation choices to move us beyond oil.

Richmond activists rallied in front of Dominion Virginia Power's HQ before marching to Virginia's General Assembly building.

And in Virginia Beach, bicycles rode along the oceanfront boardwalk between symbols of our soon-to-be dirty energy past (a mock oil spill) to our clean energy future (model wind turbines).

On the flip, check out some great photos, media clips and video documenting the successful day.

Governor Brown vetoes another pro-transit bill

September 28, 2011 by Calitics

(Cross-posted from Groundswell, the California League of Conservation Voters blog.)

Every day for the past couple of weeks I've been checking Governor Brown's website to see if he's taken action on California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) and Green California's priority legislation. I've also been following press stories closely to look for hints on whether he's going to sign or veto particular bills. And most days, not much happens. On Monday though, Brown posted an update on bill signings and vetoes. I had almost reached the end of the list, thinking he again hadn't acted on any of our priority bills, when I saw something very sad - our governor had vetoed AB 650 (Blumenfield), which would have established a task force to find solutions to California's transit funding crisis.