We are all hopeful that the federal stimulus funding will jumpstart our economy by providing funding for many worthwhile projects. As with any federal program, there are lots of rules and regulations. As you can see in the feature article below, we at Olsson Associates have been monitoring the stimulus funding rules very closely so that we can provide good advice to our clients on how to obtain stimulus funding.
 Sincerely,
Louis Lamberty, PE
Omaha Office Leader |
Federal Stimulus Funding: Strings Attached
By Craig Mielke, PWS
With all the attention on federal stimulus funding lately, people have been asking me, "Are there any environmental strings attached to this money?" The short answer is "Yes."
One of the many items discussed during the debate on the federal spending package was whether or not projects funded with stimulus money would need to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). By law, NEPA compliance is required for any "major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment," and funding of this magnitude fits that bill. At first, Congress seemed to want to inject billions of dollars into the economy as quickly as possible by requiring that projects be "shovel ready." Unfortunately, there are not really enough "shovel ready projects" to complete, thus pushing newer projects with accelerated schedules to the forefront of consideration for federal stimulus funding. Furthermore, many of these projects had little or no reason to go through the sometimes lengthy process for NEPA review because they involved no "major federal action." For many new projects, this may no longer be the case. READ MORE |
Featured Project
College Center, South Sioux City, Nebraska
 Northeast Community College and Wayne State College recently decided to join efforts and expand their offerings in northeast Nebraska. At a time when the region is experiencing strong economic growth, the two schools decided to construct a college campus in South Sioux City. Along with the city of South Sioux City, the colleges are working to have the college open for classes in 2010. Olsson Associates has served as a subcontractor to provide environmental solutions and help with project planning.
For more information on this Olsson project, click here. | |
Migratory Birds:
Did You Know?
Did you know that Nebraska is home to over 400 species of birds? Did you know that almost all bird species in Nebraska are migratory? Did you know that ALL migratory birds are protected? Your project could be affected by one or more international, federal, or state laws governing impacts to bird species. Click here to find out more about how Olsson Associates' qualified biologists can help you! |
Fun Fact
A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days.
recycling-revolution.com |
Sustainability:
Walking the Talk
Sustainability is not a fad but the way of the future. We believe that sustainable business practices will serve us the same way sustainable design practices will serve our clients: providing attractive returns on investments; creating positive public perceptions; lowering carbon emissions; and creating healthy, beautiful places where people want to work, live, and play.
At Olsson Associates, we're trying to practice what we preach by conducting eco-audits of each of our 23 offices and looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, by making ever-more sustainable purchasing choices, and by encouraging employees to adopt green habits that help protect the environment.
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