Yearly Archives: 2015

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a, two-day public hearing on the proposed Clean Power Plan federal plan and model rules during the week of November 16, 2015. The hearing will be held at the federal buildings in Atlanta, and will provide the opportunity for interested parties to comment on the proposed actions. EPA is accepting written comments on the proposal through January 21, 2016

Puget Sound Region (Nov. 10, 2015) Recent rains have improved our region’s water supply. Now cautiously optimistic about water supply conditions, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma are moving to the lowest stage of their Water Shortage Response Plans, the advisory stage.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today announced the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency’s (IDA) approval of an economic development compact for a proposed $77 million transit-oriented apartment project in downtown Mineola. The project is expected to provide much-needed new rental options in the County and provide a boost to businesses in downtown Mineola and western Nassau

A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) shows that some real estate closings are already being affected by the new “Know Before You Owe/TRID” regulations that went into effect October 3. The survey went out to brokers across the United States and nearly 20% stated they are already seeing issues, mostly delays in closing.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of both the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, announced new resources to help homeless veterans secure stable housing. Washington state will receive an additional 41 housing vouchers that will be distributed among three different housing authorities, part of a $6.4 million grant to help veterans around the country.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – today announced that Cleveland has been selected for an expanded federal initiative designed to help repair communities hit hardest by the housing crisis. Cleveland is one of six Ohio cities and 18 metropolitan areas nationwide designated for the program

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the results of its Supply Chain Optimization Working Group, a group that was chartered to develop implementation procedures within option 3 of the LEED v4 Materials & Resources credit (Building Disclosure and Optimization - Material Ingredients)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman today announced that the agency will conduct an audit of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) drinking water program. Region 5 will examine MDEQ's implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act and related rules on lead and copper, total coliform, nitrates and ground water

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement today establishing the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The agreement directs how the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Energy will work together to preserve, protect, and provide access to the historic resources associated with the Manhattan Project at locations in Oak, Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and the Hanford Site in Washington state

the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development joined three federal departments and eight national organizations to announce a strategy to prevent 3,200 lung cancer deaths by driving change to reduce radon in 5 million high-radon homes, apartments, schools and childcare centers.The National Radon Action Plan: A Strategy for Saving Lives sets out strategies to drive the changes needed to reduce exposure to radon, a naturally occurring, invisible and odorless gas. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, and causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced nearly $12 million to 79 local public housing agencies across the country to provide a permanent home to veterans experiencing homelessness. The supportive housing assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA

In an effort to safeguard important natural resources, scenic and recreational values in the face of renewable energy development, the BLM’s plan designates 3.8 million acres of lands as part of the National Landscape Conservation System, which contains some of the most fragile wildlife and iconic landscapes in the West. This designation assures that these lands, referred to as National Conservation Lands, are permanently protected from development, and their protection cannot be undone by future administrative action.

USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Stan Gruszynski today highlighted the Department’s active partnership with Native American tribes in Wisconsin and throughout the nation

With stormy weather predicted later this week, Consumers Energy is introducing automatic outage alerts for its 1.8 million residential and business electric customers to provide them with accurate, up-to-date information during a power outage

Did you know that New Hanover County Parks & Gardens operates a conference center that is available to the public to rent? The Executive Development Center (EDC) is located at 1241 Military Cutoff Road adjacent to the Northeast Library, and offers over 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

Having emerged last year from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, Detroit is still hindered in its recovery by structural flaws in its property tax system, according to a new report published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

USICH, HUD, and VA recently releasedupdated criteria and new benchmarks to define the vision of ending Veteran homelessness within communities. This webinar aired on October 29, 2015. Panelists discussed the criteria and how to use it to align local efforts in support of that vision, with a focus on long-term, lasting solutions. Panelists also overviewed the Federal process for confirming a community's achievement of the goal.

TIAA-CREF, a leading U.S. financial services organization and the nation’s largest manager of U.S. institutional tax-exempt real estate assets*, is selling a 49% interest in six office properties and two land parcels in Miami, forming a joint venture with Allianz Real Estate of America. TIAA-CREF will retain a 51% interest in the properties, located at the Waterford at Blue Lagoon corporate park near Miami International Airport, and serve as the operating partner

Just before Veterans’ Day, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ) today announced the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs will receive $334,874 to help implement practices to reduce the amount of time it takes for veterans to locate and move into permanent housing. The grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy criticizing the EPA for establishing the Clean Power Plan standards for new coal-fired power plants that are based on a presently failing Canadian carbon, capture and sequestration (CCS) project.