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Barletta highlights need for
stronger work zone measures
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, is highlighting the need for stronger safety measures along highway work zones in the wake of the death of a PennDOT contractor who was killed by a car as he was setting up a construction zone on Interstate 81 in Franklin County.
Barletta discussed the June incident involving Michael Friendy, a 41-year-old Hazleton native, during a hearing in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, 119 roadway construction workers lost their lives in work zone crashes in 2014. In 2015, a total of 700 people were killed in work zones as a result of motor vehicle crashes.
Walter Waidelich Jr., acting deputy administrator of the FHWA, said his agency is working in many different ways to improve work zone safety.
Waidelich pointed to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which includes minimum standards for work zone safety signage, buffer zones, and other safety elements within a work zone. The FHWA also deploys safety technology – for example, intrusion alarms that notify workers when a vehicle enters the work zone. Additionally, the agency is undertaking initiatives, such as Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, to raise awareness and educate the public.
Cartwright bill encourages
water efficiency, lower costs
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, has re-introduced legislation that would incentivize water conservation and help consumers cut costs on water bills.
The WATER Use Act (H.R. 3248) would codify the Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense program, which helps consumers identify water-efficient products, such as faucets and toilets.
WaterSense is a voluntary certification labeling program that acts as a water-friendly companion to Energy Star, which is a similar energy-efficiency program administered by the EPA and the Department of Energy. Since the EPA launched the WaterSense program 10 years ago, Americans have saved an estimated $32.6 billion in water and energy bills and 1.5 trillion gallons of water.
In addition, the WATER Use Act directs all federal agencies to give purchase preference to WaterSense-certified products and services. The bill would also provide assistance to state, local, and tribal governments; wastewater, water, and energy utilities; and nonprofits to support incentive programs for consumer purchases of residential water-efficient products and services.
Barletta discusses importance
of after-school program funding
WASHINGTON — During a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing exploring state and local implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta illustrated how after-school programs, like the SHINE after-school program in northeast Pennsylvania, are contributing to student success, and questioned how state ESSA plans can incorporate after-school opportunities.
ESSA was signed into law in December 2015 to replace the No Child Left Behind Act and restore state and local control of public education. The law fully takes effect for the upcoming 2017-2018 academic year.
Barletta, R-Hazleton, questioned Dr. Gail Pletnick, superintendent of Dysart Unified School District in Surprise, Arizona, about how state ESSA plans may be encouraging districts to provide after-school and summer learning opportunities.
Pletnick said after-school programs are having a positive impact on learning and also encouraging parents to get more involved with their child’s education.
