EUCA Lobbies Congress for Clean Water SRF Reauthorization

SAN RAMON — The Engineering and Utility Contractors Association participated earlier this month in the National Utility Contractors Association's Washington D.C. fly-in. The main goal for this group was to persuade Congress to enact legislation to reauthorize the EPA's Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. Industry leaders from over 30 states who flew in to meet with their legislators to advocate for this legislation joined EUCA members and staff. During the fly-in, EUCA officials said they represented the interests of California's construction industry as they met with House and Senate representatives to stress the importance of water infrastructure funding for California.

The group also discussed several other issues of concern for the industry, including increased funding during the reauthorization of the federal highway bill and its provision for exempting off-road equipment and machinery from taxes, as well as taxing gas with ethanol at the same rate as gas without ethanol. EUCA officials said they also promoted association health plans, allowing associations like EUCA and NUCA to participate in group insurance plans, giving contractors with a small office staff access to competitive health insurance rates for their employees. Additionally, EUCA officials talked about the association's support for the permanent repeal of the estate tax, which sunsets in 2010, as well as several OSHA fairness regulation issues and regulations.