Every Wednesday, the TFG Blog posts a series of articles published over the previous week that discusses topics of interest to local governments. Learn about emerging trends and keep up on key policy issues by browsing the TFG Wednesday News Roundup!
House Proposes EPA Cuts
The House proposed deep new cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday to help pay for Western priorities including money to aid local governments and fight wildfires on federal lands. On top of the spending cuts, the bill includes several legislative riders to restrict the EPA’s regulatory power. Read More…
Solar, Wi-Fi-Enabled Water Wheel Pulls Trash From Baltimore’s Inner Harbor
Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a city landmark teeming with tourists, restaurants and — until recently — floating trash. Baltimore native John Kellett developed the idea of a solar-powered water wheel that would collect the trash floating around the harbor. He brought his idea to the city, and the city listened. Since May, the trash-collecting water wheel has collected 50 tons of trash from the harbor. Read More…
Vertical Gardens Growing in Smart Cities
Green walls, or vertical gardens, have increasingly been integrated into public and private buildings around the world over the past decade. In addition to their aesthetic appeal amongst the concrete and steel of urban centers, vertical gardens counter pollution, help insulate buildings, and gather stormwater. Read More…
House Proposes $10.5B, Eight-Month Highway Bill
The House Ways and Means Committee is proposing a $10.5 billion, eight-month transportation funding bill to push the debate over road and transit spending into the next Congress. The proposal, which was released Tuesday afternoon, calls for a temporary extension of current transportation funding levels until May 31, 2015. The proposal comes as lawmaker’s scramble to come up with a solution to replenish the Highway Trust fund, which is now predicted to go bankrupt in August. Read More…
EPA Administrator Says ‘Ditch the Myths’ on Proposed Clean Water Rule
In a press call Tuesday, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said that her department is making a concerted effort to reach out to farmers to correct “a growing list of myths floating around” regarding the proposed Waters of the U.S. rule to the Clean Water Act. She emphasized that there are some legitimate concerns, but she wants to separate what is fact and fiction. Read More…
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