Bechtel Corporation (Bechtel) donated £50,000 ($59,160 USD) on Wednesday to the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for its Launch Scholarship program, in celebration of the company’s 70 years in the UK. The donation will support at least 11 students with financial challenges or personal obstacles throughout the duration of their education, and adds to the £680,000 ($970,000 USD) that Bechtel gifted to the IET for its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics educational outreach over the past decade. Sir Julian Young, IET President, stated, “This year’s additional donation will enable us to support even more young people on their academic or apprenticeship path into engineering. We thank Bechtel for its continued support of the next generation as they each pursue their dreams.”

• The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on July 7 that it will propose regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector in an effort to address climate change. The proposal would require state transportation departments and metropolitan planning organizations to track and reduce highway and road driving emissions.
• Funding to help reduce emissions would come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), with $27 billion allocated toward reducing emissions through a variety of programs and mechanisms.
• Once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, further discussions are anticipated as some stakeholders question whether this regulation falls within the FHWA’s authority, especially in light of the recent West Virginia v. EPA Supreme Court case.
  

• The new Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC), created in 2015 and signed into permanence through last year’s federal infrastructure law, has recently begun work to fast-track permit approval for megaprojects that involve conventional and renewable energy production, broadband, and hydropower dams, among other areas.
• This acceleration, as part of the “FAST 41 process” (referring to Title 41 of the FAST Act), comes from greater coordination--which speeds up permit approval without compromising project quality or safety.
• • The agency is also expected to help increase transparency to the public when it comes to the complicated permit approval process, providing regular updates on the status of projects in which agencies are involved, as well as points of contact in the event of any concerns. Irma Esparza Diggs, Director of Federal Advocacy for the National League of Cities, stated: “It’s something that sounds so simple, but the reality is if you don’t speak the speak, it is very complicated… so we are pleased to have [FPISC] as a partner.”