The Economic Perspective 6/19/2026
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
The Latest Trending Economic, Environmental and Infrastructure News Curated for You by The Balmoral Group
The Balmoral Group provides practical, professional and precise Economics, Data Analytics, and Engineering Consulting services and is part of a globally integrated team.
Happy Friday!
On June 29th TBG team members Cortney Cortez, Wendy-Lin Bartels, and Laila Racevskis will be attending the Natural Capital Symposium to discuss how natural capital approaches are being integrated into policy and finance decisions. This will be the 20th anniversary of the event and will connect researchers, private institutions, governmental leaders, and private firms. You can read more about the event here.
Last week, crude prices experienced declines with the hope of a nearing resolution to the war in Iran, as Trump announced an agreement that is expected to be signed on June 19th, but until than blockades on the Strait of Hormuz continue. It is unclear when an end to the conflict will occur. If an end does come soon, asphalt prices may see declines in prices as a result, however seasonal demand is also increasing as the paving season begins. In other commodity news, Trump’s latest 10% tariffs that were struck down were reinstated by a Court of Appeals and further trade agreement changes are expected as USMCA is expected to not be renewed or at least altered heavily.
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Oyster Reef Restoration from NOAA
NOAA Fisheries have long sought out the restoration of oyster reefs leading to significant gains around the country. For example, Chesapeake Bay has gained roughly 3 square miles of healthy reef habitat. When looking to restore NOAA seeks out stakeholder engagement and partnerships and leveraging video and water quality data collection to see how fish are used to help restore the reefs. In the vein of leveraging stakeholder engagement, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has setup an annual catch-and-release tournament where awards are given to a high diversity of catches rather than the largest size, which heavily depends on a healthy habitat to support diverse fish populations. Read more about this project here and here.
USDOT Funding for Truck Parking
The USDOT has recently released a $627 million funding opportunity through its Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant Program. $200 million has been set-aside for commercial truck parking projects. This is expected to be a boon to the industry as a lack of parking has limited safety and efficiency for the industry. Other projects supported by the funding will include bridge improvements, freight rail and intermodal projects, grade separations, marine highway corridor projects, and more. This aligns with the primary goal of the program to invest in surface transportation improvements. Read more here.
Old Tires to Strengthen Asphalt Mixtures
Ann Arbor is repaving streets with new rubberized asphalt that uses old tires that are ground into dust. The rubber additive is not only finding a productive use for old waste, but it strengthens asphalt by reducing pavement cracking potentially extending the lifespan by 30-40%. This will also help create a quieter ride, enhance traction, and improve fuel efficiency. For Ann Arbor, this will help recycle about a third of all waste tires. Other companies are also adopting this practice hoping to reduce waste and enhance transportation infrastructure. Read more here.
Salmon Restoration in Oregon
NOAA Fisheries currently support significant salmon restoration projects in Oregon through partnerships with dozens of organizations. This robust collection of projects is labeled as the Salmon Superhighway and it has contributed to substantial rebound in coho salmon populations with about 150,000 coho salmon returning to the area since 2021. Reduced harvesting and some favorable ocean conditions have also helped the populations rebound which has filled these improved rivers with new generations of salmon. Updating culverts and other barriers in rivers and steams were a large part of increasing the salmon’s breeding and living grounds. Read more here and here.
Washington Department of Ecology Makes Strides Towards Water Quality
Earlier this month, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) proposed new nutrient control requirements for water draining into Puget Sound from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in western Washington. Last year, a general permit that applied to 58 WWTPs was proposed by the department, however, public comments and legal rulings on permit appeals prompted Ecology to pull back in -and ultimately end- that pursuit. Now, Ecology is trying again at a smaller scale, to prioritize implementation of permit requirements in smaller-scale batches of WWTPs. The WWTPs include Post Point WWTP in Bellingham, the City of Everett’s Water Pollution Control Facility, and the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in King County. Draft permit modifications are available for public viewing and comment now at the links above. Read more here.
AI Assists in Identifying and Analyzing Plants
Recently, Kew Royal Botanical Gardens revealed the value of AI in plant-related studies. Digitizing 7.4 million samples, AI has scanned and identified plant and fungi types dating back centuries. Of the 70,000 species already analyzed, 40% were at risk of extinction, making it more essential to understand the genetic data of the specimens in order to attempt to preserve new species. With this technological assistance, researchers also discovered that flowering patterns have adjusted by 2.5 days per ten years due to warmer temperatures, but all flowers did not change in the same direction, with some taking longer and others faster. Through this improved plant digitization, scientists are optimistic for more discoveries applying species to medicine and agriculture. Read more here and here.
Data Visualization of the Week
Weakened Crude Values in May
US light sweet waterborne crude values weakened through May as domestic pipeline differentials declined, a softer cargo market continued, and releases on reverses in the US were ongoing. With the Iran conflict potentially coming to an end the crude market is likely to see continued changes. Asia-Pacific purchases of Atlantic oil may shift back toward Persian Gulf purchases, and weakened demand from Europe may continue as well. Argus has been tracking prices and the graph below shows shifting differentials through the last several months. You can review other pricing areas in North America and read more about ongoing issues here.
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