A 4 part series examining America's crumbling infrastructure.
Every
time you hop on the highway, cross a bridge, or cruise through a tunnel,
you use an aspect of the nation's infrastructure. Though it is used
every day, critics say America's infrastructure has been neglected.
In "State of Repair," NBR Senior Correspondent Jeff
Yastine explains how aging highways, locks, pipes, and dams could
hinder the nation's growth.
In
this report, Jeff Yastine examines the state of America's highways
and bridges. The report includes interviews with Mayor Jim Brewster
of McKeesport, Pennsylvania and Larry Roth of the American Society
of Civil Engineers.
American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
ASCE's Deputy Executive Director, Larry Roth, is interviewed in
Part 1 of Jeff Yastine's series. This links to the organization's
"Report Card for America's Infrastructure" project.
The project offers grades on the nation's efforts to improve its
infrastructure. It also offers infrastructure-related news articles
and policy recommendations.
Chicago
Skyway
The Chicago Skyway is a toll road bridge that connects the Dan
Ryan Expressway to the Indiana Tollway. The City of Chicago privatized
the operation of the Skyway by giving a 99-year operating lease
to a private company.
City
of McKeesport
The city of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, which is profiled in Part
1 of Jeff Yastine's series, needs an expressway expansion to help
fuel its economy. This links to the "City Information"
section of the website, where you can find facts, history, and
a map of McKeesport.
Federal
Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the U.S. Department
of Transportation. The agency's website offers a wealth of information
about the nation's highways, including sections on "Construction
& Maintenance" and "Highway History."
Heartland
Institute
The Heartland Institute is a nonprofit research and education
organization focused on "free-market solutions to social
and economic problems." This links to a March 2005 article
published by the Heartland Institute titled, "Governors Talk
Toll Road Privatization in Indiana and New Jersey."
Reason
Foundation
The Reason Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes
free markets. Reason's Director of Transportation studies, Robert
Poole, is interviewed in Part 1 of Jeff Yastine's series. This
links to Robert Poole's page on the Reason Foundation website,
where you can find his biography as well as links to studies he
has authored.
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NBR has no affiliation with these sites.
Part
2: Blocked Locks
Premiered
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
This report focuses on the impact aging locks have on businesses that
rely on rivers to move their products. The segment includes interviews
with Paul Buddeke of the River Road Terminal and Barry Palmer of the
American Waterways Council.
American
Waterways Council
The Waterways Council is a "national public policy organization
focused on educating policymakers, the news media and the general
public about the critical importance of our Nation’s lock
and dam infrastructure." The organization's president, Barry
Palmer, is interviewed in Part 2 of Jeff Yastine's series.
"Modernizing
the Ohio River Navigation System"
(PDF Document)
This is a copy of a 2002 presentation by Barry Palmer, head of
the American Waterways Council. The document is more than 6 MB
in size and will take a few minutes to download with a broadband/DSL
connection.
University
of Missouri
(PDF Document)
This links to a briefing prepared by the University of Missouri's
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute in 2004. It is
titled, "Testimony on the Value of the Mississippi River
for U.S. Agriculture."
U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - Huntington District
The USACE Huntington District jurisdiction includes navigable
waterways in parts of Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia,
and North Carolina. The district is responsible for the McAlpine
Locks mentioned in Part 2 of Jeff Yastine's series.
U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - Pittsburgh District
The USACE Pittsburgh District jurisdiction includes navigable
waterways in western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern
Ohio, western Maryland, and southwestern New York. The district
is responsible for the Emsworth Lock mentioned in Part 2 of Jeff
Yastine's series.
The
White House - Office of Management & Budget (OMB)
This links to the OMB's 2002 assessment of the nation's inland
waterways navigation program, run by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The assessment includes information about funding levels, improvements
the OMB wants to make in the program, and more.
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NBR has no affiliation with these sites.
Part
3: Leaky Pipes
Premiered
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
In
this report, Jeff Yastine explains why the sewer systems in many regions
of the U.S. need special attention. The report includes interviews
with Tim Prevost of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority and Ken
Kirk of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.
Allegheny
County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN)
ALCOSAN is responsible for "collection, transportation, treatment
and disposal of sewage in Allegheny County," including the
City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As Jeff Yastine explains in
Part 3 of his series, ALCOSAN is working to fix aging sewer piping
in its region.
Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
This links to information about the Clean Water Act of 1972, which
set wastewater treatment standards in the U.S.
National
Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA)
NACWA is a lobbying organization that represents U.S. wastewater
treatment agencies. The organization's executive director, Ken
Kirk, is interviewed in Jeff Yastine's report.
Neighborhood
Capital Budget Group (NCBG)
The NCBG is a coalition of Chicago's community organizations and
economic development groups. It's mision is "to ensure the
quality of our infrastructure in order to ensure the quality of
life for our communities." This links to the coalition's
analysis of Chicago's water and sewer improvement plan, which
is mentioned in Part 3 of Jeff Yastine's series.
U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
(PDF Document)
This 2006 report to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment,
and Related Agencies is titled "Clean Water: How States Allocate
Revolving Loan Funds and Measure Their Benefits." It specifically
analyzes the use of monies provided to states by the federal Clean
Water State Revolving Fund, which is administered by the Environmental
Protection Agency.
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NBR has no affiliation with these sites.
Part
4: Dam Costs
Premieres
Thursday, June
21, 2007
This
report examines the state of America's dams and discusses the financial
obstacles hindering efforts to improve the nation's infrastructure.
The report includes interviews with Barney Davis of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Robert Poole of the Reason Foundation, and others.
American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
ASCE's Deputy Executive Director, Larry Roth, is interviewed in
Part 4 of Jeff Yastine's series. This links to a February 2007
press release issued by ASCE titled, "Protecting Public Safety:
Civil Engineering and Dam Safety Groups Support Reintroduction
of Dam Repair and Rehabilitation Act."
Dam
Safety Coalition
The Dam Safety Coalition is an organization that promotes "the
creation of a federal funding program to repair the nation's unsafe
dams." The organization's website offers information about
dam rehabilitiation costs as well as updates on legislation related
to dam safety.
Inland
Waterways Users Board
The Inland Waterways Users Board is an advisory committee that
makes "recommendations to the Congress and the Secretary
of the Army on the priorities and spending from the Inland Waterways
Trust Fund for construction and rehabilitation projects."
The board's vice chairman, Norbert Whitlock, is interviewed in
Part 4 of Jeff Yastine's series.
Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
NCRS is a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This
links to information the NCRS website offers about dam rehabilitation,
specifically the economics of dam rehabilitation. Some of the
documents require an FTP client to facilitate download.
Reason
Foundation
The Reason Foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes
free markets. Reason's Director of Transportation studies, Robert
Poole, is interviewed in Part 4 of Jeff Yastine's series. This
links to Robert Poole's page on the Reason Foundation website,
where you can find his biography as well as links to studies he
has authored, including those discussing privatization of infrastructure
systems.
*Clicking
these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org.
NBR has no affiliation with these sites.
Extras:
Behind-the-Scenes
The reporting
team of Correspondent Jeff Yastine and Photojournalist Mike Malanga
traveled to Pennsylvania and Kentucky to put NBR's "State
of Repair" series together. Once again, they took along a
digital camera and captured a few behind-the-scenes images. Click
on the link below to explore a gallery of these images.
