Gov. Mitt Romney releases an engineering review that finds Boston's Big Dig to be 'fundamentally safe' but recommends some repairs.
"A comprehensive engineering review of Boston's highways, tunnels, and bridges, ordered after the fatal collapse of a tunnel ceiling in July, has found the road system to be 'fundamentally safe,' Governor Mitt Romney said yesterday. Romney's so-called 'stem to stern' safety review of the Big Dig system did find a variety of relatively minor flaws, including cracking concrete and water leaks near electrical equipment."
"The most serious flaws found to date are those that led to the tunnel ceiling collapse, which killed Milena Del Valle, a 38-year-old Jamaica Plain woman who was a passenger in a car en route to Logan International Airport....Romney said an important safeguard will be added when cellphone service is established in the I-93 and I-90 connector tunnels, allowing motorists to alert authorities to problems."
FULL STORY: Big Dig roads are safe, says Romney
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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