ISSUE 66
September 2021
TxDOT Terminates IBM From Toll Operations Contract for System Issues
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Citing continued challenges with an upgraded toll operations system delivered by IBM nearly a year ago, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced recently that it has terminated its remaining contract with the company. Since the system’s roll-out, TxTag customers and toll road users have experienced unnecessary challenges in managing…
DART Named a Best-in-State Employer by Forbes
By Subcontractors USA News Provider For the second year in a row, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has been recognized as a Best-in-State Employer by Forbes. The Best-in-State Employer award winners, given out by Forbes and Statista Inc., were chosen from a sample of 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees across…
US Department of Labor Again Cites Fort Worth Masonry Company For Exposing Workers to Falls, Proposes $216K in Penalties
By Subcontractors USA News Provider A Fort Worth masonry company continues to put its workers at risk for falls – the leading cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry – by ignoring workplace safety regulations, a recent federal inspection at a Denton work site found. A March 2021 inspection initiated as part…
New Task Force To Direct Funding To Vital Highway Safety Projects
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The Texas Transportation Commission recently announced a new task force to be comprised of representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation and the state’s metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to further identify and fund safety projects from funding allocated to MPOs throughout the state with a relentless focus on reducing the…
As an Employer, Are You Providing a Safe Workplace for Your Workers?
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Are you providing a safe workplace for your workers? Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace. OSHA covers most private sector employers and their workers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. jurisdictions either directly…
Contractors! Why You Should Care About National Code Compliance Month
By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer National Code Compliance Month was established by the American Association of Code Enforcement many years ago to recognize work that Code Enforcement Officers provide to make sure buildings are safe for use. They perform inspections using building codes and zoning ordinances on residential to industrial to environmental and other types…
The Environmental Partnership Annual Report Shows Industry Progress In Reducing Flaring
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The Environmental Partnership recently released its third annual report highlighting the industry’s progress in reducing flaring. Participants in the partnership’s new flare management program reported a 50 percent reduction in flare volumes from 2019 to 2020, even as oil and natural gas production remained consistent among participating companies. The partnership…
Railroad Commission Exceeds Legislative Goal for Plugging Orphaned Wells for Fifth-Straight Year
By Subcontractors USA News Provider When it comes to protecting public safety and the environment, the Railroad Commission shows its commitment through its actions. The vast majority of operators responsibly plug their wells when production has ceased, but if operators abandon oil and gas wells, RRC’s State Managed Plugging Program steps up to ensure the…
RRC Begins Important Steps To Ensure Natural Gas Supply for Weather Emergency Power Generation
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Recently, Railroad Commission of Texas commissioners approved publishing for public comment proposed rules for critical designation of natural gas infrastructure during energy emergencies. The proposed rules specify the criteria and process for entities associated with providing natural gas to be designated as critical customers or critical gas suppliers during an…
Energy, Manufacturing, Labor and Business Groups Urge Senate To Oppose Punitive Natural Gas Tax
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Recently, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and 130 energy, manufacturing, business and labor trade organizations across the natural gas and oil supply chain sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works opposing legislation that would place a fee on methane. The organizations, led by API,…
CPS Energy News: Global Materials Shortage Affecting the Energy Sector and Greater San Antonio
CPS Energy depends on a variety of goods and services to provide Safe, Reliable, Affordable and Resilient energy to customers throughout Greater San Antonio. Recent material shortages across the globe are impacting supply chains that provide those goods and services. The coronavirus pandemic, labor shortages, and other events have caused major production interruptions for many…
Women, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Workers Underrepresented in US Clean Energy
By National Newspaper Publishers Association As Congress considers the most significant domestic investment ever made to speed America’s transition to clean energy, a new employment report from a collaboration of business, equity, and energy organizations highlights the need for Congress to include funding to advance diversity in clean energy and ensure women, disadvantaged communities, and…
AGC & Procore Technologies Launch New Scholarship To Assist African American & Minority Students in At-Risk Areas Studying Construction at HBCUs
By Subcontracts USA News Provider The Associated General Contractors of America and Procore Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of construction management software, are launching a new scholarship program to assist African American and minority students in at-risk situations who are studying construction fields at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The new scholarship is being…
AGC Reaches Out to Federal Agencies on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Recently, The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) reached out to the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council and other federal agencies to highlight the uniqueness of the construction industry, the many safety measures contractors have implemented throughout the pandemic, and to advocate for clear guidance…
Architecture Student Elected to NAAB Board of Directors
By Destiny Vaquera, UH Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design Contributor Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design student Nyx Valerdy was recently elected to the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). She will represent the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and architecture students nationally for a two-year term through 2023. The…
News From The American Institute of Architecture Students Introducing the New ASCA Liaison to the AIAS Board – 2021
By Bethany Lundell Garver, Scott Cornelius, AIAS Contributors The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is pleased to welcome Bethany I. Lundell Garver, AIA, NCARB, to the 2021-2022 Board of Directors. Beth is Dean of Practice and Faculty at the Boston Architectural College. At Grassroots 2021 Beth was sworn in as the Association of Collegiate…
Subcontractors USA Works With City, County, State Agencies and Corporations to Provide Resources That Bring Prime and Subcontractors Together.
According to recent statistics via Zippia, the most common ethnicity among general contractors is White, which makes up 77.5% of all general contractors…
PVAMU’s School of Architecture Helps PV Grad Build a Strong Foundation
By Andrew Cohen, PVAMU School of Architecture Contributor As befits a new Master of Architecture, Yesenia Davila has methodically designed a career during her years at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Davila came to PVAMU in 2015 from her hometown of Houston, the first member of her family to attend college. She graduated in May…
Shining the Spotlight on The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an independent, nonprofit, student-run organization dedicated to providing unmatched progressive programs, information, and resources on issues critical to architecture and the experience of education. The AIAS aims to promote excellence in architectural education, training, and practice; to foster an appreciation of architecture…