West Group Law attorneys frequently work on federally funded infrastructure projects for our government clients. Two fairly recent, significant, federal funding mechanisms – the American Rescue Plan Act (2021) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2022), have infused tremendous amounts of money into water, sewer and broadband infrastructure projects. Most of these infrastructure dollars are allocated through state Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. Government entities seeking to obtain and use these funds are subject to a myriad of timing and compliance requirements at both the state and federal level. Program requirements include, for example, American Iron and Steel, and Build American Buy American requirements concerning domestic preference procurements, prevailing wage requirements, mandatory terms and conditions, professional architect and engineer procurement requirements, disadvantaged business enterprises, and environmental review coordination; as well as compliance with the underlying statute, final rule, and award letters, among other requirements.
West Group Law attorneys are working on sewer plant improvements, sewer expansions, biosolids processing facilities, roadways, and broadband initiatives, among other infrastructure projects, that are utilizing federal dollars, to ensure compliance with the applicable state and federal program requirements for our clients, and to help pave the way to a successful project.
West Group Law Senior Counsel, Jillian Jagling and Sebastian Amenta, P.E. from Comprehensive Environmental Inc., are co-presenting on this topic at the New England-New York Water Environment Association Joint Spring Meeting, on June 9, 2023 in Saratoga Springs, NY, in a presentation titled “Modern Investments in Water and Sewer Infrastructure – A Review of Two of the Primary Infrastructure Investment Laws in the Nation and Examples of Their Implementation in New England”.