Washington

Oil & gas and construction news for subcontractors working in Washington — 26 stories and counting.

CSB Report: Longview Tank Was Flagged "Not Fit for Service" 10 Months Before Fatal Failure

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found that an inspection report warned Nippon Dynawave that a storage tank at its Longview, WA mill was unfit for continued service months before it failed, killing 11 workers.

Aug 29, 2026

Workforce

Wildfire Smoke Poses Year-Round OSHA Risk for Outdoor Crews

ISHN reports that construction, utility, and landscaping crews face growing respiratory hazards from recurring wildfire smoke, with industry experts urging employers to treat AQI monitoring and N95 fit testing as standard seasonal prep, not emergency response.

Aug 29, 2026

Workforce

Hanford Nuclear Cleanup Ramps Up Waste Removal, Adds Grouting Option

ENR reports crews at the DOE Hanford site pulled 79,000 gallons of radioactive waste from a leak-prone tank and removed a 10-ton obstructing pump, as regulators approve a new grouting method to speed disposal.

Aug 23, 2026

Industry

I-5 Bridge Megaproject Advances, Signaling Years of Subcontractor Work

The $14.4B Interstate Bridge Replacement program has issued its first major RFQ, kicking off a construction pipeline expected to run through the early 2030s in the Portland-Vancouver corridor.

Aug 18, 2026

Industry

FERC Clears Gas Plant Deals in New York, Colorado Worth Over $1B

FERC approved PowerTransitions' purchase of a 1,242-MW New York plant for a data center "energy campus" and TransAlta's roughly $1 billion deal for two Colorado gas plants totaling 319 MW.

Aug 15, 2026

Industry

Western Midstream Operators Push for Faster Gas Pipeline Expansion

Natural Gas Intelligence reports that Western US midstream operators are prioritizing pipeline optimization and new infrastructure as regional capacity runs at full utilization, citing weather-driven price spikes and growing storage needs.

Aug 14, 2026

Editorial image: aerial pipeline compressor station at dusk - Western Midstream Operators Push for Faster Gas Pipeline Expansion

Compliance

Washington Eyes New Certification Rules for Forklifts Lifting Suspended Loads

Washington's L&I is drafting rule changes clarifying when forklift operators need crane-level certification for suspended loads, following a contractor petition over the state's August 2025 crane rule update.

Aug 8, 2026

Editorial image: Forklift rigging suspended steel beam - Washington Eyes New Certification Rules for Forklifts Lifting Suspended Loads

Industry

Democrat Urges Coast Guard Review Ahead of Alberta-to-B.C. Pipeline

Rep. Rick Larsen wants the U.S. Coast Guard to update oil spill response coordination with Canada as a proposed Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline threatens to raise tanker traffic through the Salish Sea.

Aug 3, 2026

Compliance

State Heat Rules Multiply as Federal OSHA Standard Stalls Past 2027

ISHN reports that OSHA's heat illness rule is stuck in supplemental rulemaking until at least October 2027, while seven states now enforce their own heat standards, creating a compliance patchwork for multi-state contractors.

Jul 31, 2026

Industry

States Push Back on FERC Bid to Expand Pipeline Permit Exemptions

More than a dozen states and D.C. are urging FERC to reject a rule that would let more gas pipeline projects skip case-specific review, warning of higher costs and less scrutiny.

Jul 28, 2026

Industry

Contractor Search Begins for $14.4B Washington-Oregon I-5 Bridge Replacement

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program issued a Request for Qualifications this month to identify a contractor for the $14.4 billion Columbia River crossing after clearing final federal environmental review.

Jul 1, 2026

Industry

C3M Power Systems Named ENR MidAtlantic's 2026 Specialty Contractor of the Year

ENR East reports that Maryland-based C3M Power Systems will hit $200 million in projected revenue this year, a 75% jump in two years, driven by transportation, government, and power work.

Jul 17, 2026

Industry

FERC's Large-Load Orders Could Decide Which Data Centers Get Built First

FERC's June 18 show cause orders to six grid operators aim to standardize data center interconnection rules, and the projects that offer grid flexibility may break ground fastest, Utility Dive reports.

Jul 16, 2026

Editorial image: Data center substation interconnection gap - FERC's Large-Load Orders Could Decide Which Data Centers Get Built First

Industry

Trans Mountain Settlement Locks In Tolls, Opens Door to 300,000 bpd Capacity Boost

Trans Mountain has filed a shipper settlement with Canada's energy regulator that sets long-term tolls and clears the way for a Mainline Optimization Program expected to add up to 300,000 bpd of capacity by 2028.

Jul 7, 2026

Industry

Billions in Rail Contracts Are Moving, But Funding Fights Put Subcontractors at Risk

Major rail and transit projects are generating multibillion-dollar contracts across the US, but expiring federal funding and political battles over DEI and appropriations create real risks for subcontractors considering these jobs.

Jun 29, 2026

Editorial image: Empty rail tunnel at dawn - Billions in Rail Contracts Are Moving, But Funding Fights Put Subcontractors at Risk

Compliance

Telehandler Balcony Unloading Turns Fatal After Temporary Guardrail Fails Structural Test

A 27-year-old laborer died after falling through an undersized temporary guardrail on an apartment complex balcony. A Washington State FACE report details the installation failures that led to the fatality.

Jun 23, 2026

Editorial image: Balcony edge fall hazard - Telehandler Balcony Unloading Turns Fatal After Temporary Guardrail Fails Structural Test

Industry

Q1 2026 Earnings Mixed for Major US Contractors: Granite Climbs, Fluor Slips, Tutor Perini Eyes Blowout Year

Granite raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $5.4B after strong Q1 results driven by border and data centre work. Fluor posted 'messy' numbers with a 54% drop in new awards. Tutor Perini and Skanska held steady, both pointing to record backlogs and data centre demand.

Jun 16, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial mixed-progress construction site - Q1 2026 Earnings Mixed for Major US Contractors: Granite Climbs, Fluor Slips, Tutor Perini Eyes Blowout Year

Industry

Navy Breaks $10B Bremerton Dry Dock Rebuild into Four Bid Packages

The U.S. Navy has released detailed procurement plans for a $7B to $10B rebuild of the Dry Dock 3 waterfront at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, outlining four construction packages and an eight-year build timeline that represents one of the largest heavy civil and marine construction programs on the West Coast.

Jun 16, 2026

Editorial image: Dry dock mega-project night - Navy Breaks $10B Bremerton Dry Dock Rebuild into Four Bid Packages

Compliance

Tetra Tech Tapped to Modernize Spillways at Two Columbia River Dams

Tetra Tech has been selected as lead design engineer for a multi-year spillway modernization project at Rock Island Dam and Rocky Reach Dam in Washington state, signaling active hydropower infrastructure work for civil and specialty subcontractors in the Pacific Northwest.

Jun 11, 2026

Editorial image: Dam spillway gate detail - Tetra Tech Tapped to Modernize Spillways at Two Columbia River Dams

Industry

Data Center Opposition Is Now a Real Schedule Risk for Construction Managers

Community pushback against data center projects is extending permitting timelines and driving up costs, creating new risks for subcontractors signing on to hyperscale builds.

Jun 8, 2026

Editorial image: Stalled data center, neighborhood opposition - Data Center Opposition Is Now a Real Schedule Risk for Construction Managers

Industry

Quanta Services Pilots Australian Suicide Prevention Model Across Six Field Units

Six Quanta Services subsidiaries are testing MATES North America, an Australian peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, across union and non-union construction sites in the US. The pilot aims to adapt the model for North American field workforces.

Jun 6, 2026

Editorial image: Crew connection at dawn - Quanta Services Pilots Australian Suicide Prevention Model Across Six Field Units

Industry

US Grid Adds 75 GW of Summer Capacity in a Year, Led by Texas and the West

FERC reports the largest year-over-year capacity increase in over a decade, with nearly 26 GW added in Texas alone, signaling sustained demand for grid construction and interconnection work across the country.

May 23, 2026

Editorial image: Massive grid expansion buildout - US Grid Adds 75 GW of Summer Capacity in a Year, Led by Texas and the West

Industry

Flow Technologies Pulls Off Emergency CIPP Repair Under Washington Flood Embankment

When a failing sewer main threatened a flood control embankment near the Snoqualmie River, Woodinville Water District turned to a trenchless contractor for a fast-response CIPP fix. Here's how the job got done.

May 22, 2026

Industry

Washington State Requires Written Work Plans for Trenching and Excavation Starting June 1

Washington's Department of Labor & Industries has adopted a new rule requiring employers to complete a written work plan before any trenching, excavation, or shoring work begins. The rule takes effect June 1, 2026.

May 20, 2026

Editorial image: Trench shoring at dawn - Washington State Requires Written Work Plans for Trenching and Excavation Starting June 1

Industry

Private Nonresidential Construction Falls for Fourth Straight Month, Dragged Down by Manufacturing Slump

Private nonresidential construction spending has dropped 8% from its peak as CHIPS Act manufacturing projects wind down, but data centers and public infrastructure offer subcontractors a clear path to new work.

Mar 29, 2026

Editorial image: Construction crew amid structural uncertainty - Private Nonresidential Construction Falls for Fourth Straight Month, Dragged Down by Manufacturing Slump

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