Washington, D.C. - U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officials stated August 5 that the agency is studying the impact of a nuclear test reactor in the U.S. to begin operations by 2025.

Their plan is to build a versatile test reactor (VTR), or fast reactor, that would test future fuels and materials that industry is designing for advanced civilian nuclear power reactors. The fast-neutron-testing VTR would be the first such reactor built in the U.S. in decades.

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said the testing capability is critical to modernizing the country's nuclear energy infrastructure and developing nuclear energy technologies that reduce waste generation and strengthen nuclear security.

Two locations the department is considering for the VTR are Idaho National Laboratory in eastern Idaho and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee.

The department is starting the process by soliciting public comment through September 4 as it is preparing an environmental impact statement. DOE officials will host webcast scoping meetings at 6 p.m. ET August 27 and 8 p.m. ET August 28 to provide information about the VTR and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

New York - The city of New York has a plan to protect Staten Island from future storms similar to 2012's Hurricane Sandy. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released a study in June for a series of levees, berms, and seawalls that will stretch from Fort Wadsworth to Great Kills. In total, it's estimated that the proposed project will protect 7,300 structures and more than 30,000 people.

The new system will guard against storms that surge two feet higher than Sandy did. It consists of 4.5 miles of buried seawall, more than a half mile of levees, and .35 miles of floodwall. Additionally, the proposed system includes more than 500 acres of natural storage, ponding areas, and tidal wetlands.

Construction could begin in summer 2020 and finish by the winter of 2024.

Funding comes from an agreement between USACE and the state, which has secured $400 million. Another $150 million is coming from New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation, and $65 million in capital funds is being contributed by New York City.

Washington - Transportation officials in Spokane are nearing the final design stages after 15 years of planning a new Central City Line to connect Brown's Addition to Spokane Community College via a 6-mile downtown loop.

Spokane Transit Authority (STA) board members approved an extra $20.2 million from the authority's cash reserves to help finance the estimated $92.2 million rapid transit bus route that could begin operations in July 2022. Project design is at 90 percent with completion set for August.

The Federal Transit Administration awarded the project $53.4 million in April that STA will combine with $15 million in state funding, $2.2 million from a regional mobility grant, and $1.4 million from a federal air quality grant.

More than 1 million rides per year are expected on the line's modern-style electric bus.

Iowa - Davenport is considering options to combat flooding after the Mississippi River rose to record-setting levels this summer. Mayor Frank Klipsch has formed a task force to ponder how best to keep people dry without sacrificing the city's main draw - easy river access.

The current containment system is modest, featuring a wide strip of grass and Nahant Marsh's 305 acres of wetland.

But in the face of recent flooding that forced popular businesses and attractions to close, officials are contemplating hard measures including a $175 million floodwall. Neighboring cities of Rock Island, Bettendorf, and Moline, Illinois have floodwalls and all have remained dry. However, such a project would require Davenport to acquire funding from local sources.

Another option is to give the river a wider buffer instead of building a wall. The drawback to this is that it would require a large amount of land, and would be less reliable.

Texas - Houston officials announced August 2 that the city will receive federal funding for two of the city's large-scale flood mitigation projects almost two years after Hurricane Harvey.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will award $46.9 million to the first phase of the Inwood Forest Stormwater Detention Basin Project and the initial phase of the $47.1 million Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project.

FEMA will provide 75 percent of the costs for the Inwood project, the state is expected to provide 18.75 percent, and the city of Houston and the Harris County Flood Control District will pay for the remaining costs.

The Inwood project will protect more than 4,400 structures in the White Oak Bayou and Vogel Creek watersheds. The city and county aim to build 12 floodwater detention basins to hold a total of about 1,200 acre-feet of water. The city and the flood control district acquired the former golf course in 2011 as a potential flood mitigation facility. The initial Inwood project grant is $2.8 million for design with the city set to receive $44 million for construction, with a goal of completion by 2022. The project would take seven or eight years without federal funding.

Ten gates will be added to the Lake Houston Dam to allow for larger controlled releases of water in advance of heavy rains, protecting about 35,000 residents and 5,000 structures. The FEMA grant provides $4.3 million for the initial phase and positions the city to receive $42.7 million for construction, with a goal of completion by 2022.

FEMA also is awarding a total of $11.5 million to the Lone Star College System (Kingwood), the Clear Creek Independent School System, and the Texas Department of Transportation for "emergency protective measures" in parts of the city that flooded during Harvey.

Ohio - A $36 million project received federal funding to transform a hillside along Cleveland's Cuyahoga River.

Irishtown Bend, which has been eroding away and threatening to collapse into the river, is one step closer to being restored. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $9 million for the project, which would include adding 3,200 feet of new steel bulkheads along the river. In total, $25.5 million has been raised.

In addition to stabilizing the hillside, the project seeks to transform the area into a 23-acre park that would include sweeping views of downtown Cleveland. The waterfront park would feature a riverside boardwalk and also connect several trails from Edgewater Beach to Peninsula.

More than 20 community partners are working on the project, including Ohio City Incorporated. West Creek Conservancy has purchased properties along West 25th Street bordering the park, and some buildings could be demolished this fall.

A firm has been hired to prepare construction drawings. These could take 12 to 18 months to complete before any major work would begin.