Florida to benefit from $3,551,525 in grant funding by Biden-Harris Administration to support clean U.S. manufacturing of construction materials
TALLAHASSE, Fla. (July 17, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Florida will benefit from two grants totaling approximately $3.5M to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials. EPA estimates that the construction of buildings and other built infrastructure accounts for more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
The University of Texas at Austin has been selected to receive $3,268,757 for work in California, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania to develop supply chain emission data sets for three salvage product categories: dimensional lumber, commercial doors and waste plastic. Using these data sets, the University intends to develop robust product category rules (PCRs) for salvaged materials and establish a framework for robust environmental product declarations (EPDs) for salvaged materials. The project also includes an open-source toolkit for computing the environmental impacts of salvaged construction products and materials.
Partnering with Urban Machine, re:3D, Doors Unhinged, The Reuse People and Florida A&M University, this project aims to develop PCRs for salvaged and remanufactured construction materials. The project seeks to quantify the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts associated with remanufacturing processes by conducting a comprehensive uncertainty assessment for materials such as dimensional lumber, commercial doors and 3D printed waste plastic. This data will help create transparent EPDs, enhancing confidence in the environmental benefits of using remanufactured materials over raw/virgin products. This project will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to support a growing marketplace for sustainable construction materials.
Ocala-based Global Bamboo Technologies, Inc. (BamCore) has been selected to receive $282,768. BamCore is a U.S.-based building components manufacturer specializing in the use of structural biogenic fibers to help drive decarbonization of the built environment. BamCore’s project will develop an industry-consensus approach for how to dynamically calculate biogenic carbon in EPDs as input into the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment’s (ACLCA’s) PCR Open Standard. As a proof of concept, the project team intends to create prototype PCRs and EPDs that conform to this new standard. The goal of the project is to increase standardization of all EPDs that leverage biogenic materials. The proposed approach will also include a mechanism for fair and accurate comparison of biogenic and non-biogenic materials.
The project will assist businesses in disclosing and verifying data by providing clear, industry-led, consensus-driven guidance on biogenic carbon accounting that will be incorporated into all PCRs and EPDs and align with the ACLCA’s PCR Open Standard. The project will also enhance the accuracy of environmental claims associated with biogenic materials and empower decision makers to make more informed choices, thus spurring market demand for low embodied carbon products.
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
The grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality EPDs, which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
The University of Texas at Austin has been selected to receive $3,268,757 for work in California, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania to develop supply chain emission data sets for three salvage product categories: dimensional lumber, commercial doors and waste plastic. Using these data sets, the University intends to develop robust product category rules (PCRs) for salvaged materials and establish a framework for robust environmental product declarations (EPDs) for salvaged materials. The project also includes an open-source toolkit for computing the environmental impacts of salvaged construction products and materials.
Partnering with Urban Machine, re:3D, Doors Unhinged, The Reuse People and Florida A&M University, this project aims to develop PCRs for salvaged and remanufactured construction materials. The project seeks to quantify the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts associated with remanufacturing processes by conducting a comprehensive uncertainty assessment for materials such as dimensional lumber, commercial doors and 3D printed waste plastic. This data will help create transparent EPDs, enhancing confidence in the environmental benefits of using remanufactured materials over raw/virgin products. This project will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to support a growing marketplace for sustainable construction materials.
Ocala-based Global Bamboo Technologies, Inc. (BamCore) has been selected to receive $282,768. BamCore is a U.S.-based building components manufacturer specializing in the use of structural biogenic fibers to help drive decarbonization of the built environment. BamCore’s project will develop an industry-consensus approach for how to dynamically calculate biogenic carbon in EPDs as input into the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment’s (ACLCA’s) PCR Open Standard. As a proof of concept, the project team intends to create prototype PCRs and EPDs that conform to this new standard. The goal of the project is to increase standardization of all EPDs that leverage biogenic materials. The proposed approach will also include a mechanism for fair and accurate comparison of biogenic and non-biogenic materials.
The project will assist businesses in disclosing and verifying data by providing clear, industry-led, consensus-driven guidance on biogenic carbon accounting that will be incorporated into all PCRs and EPDs and align with the ACLCA’s PCR Open Standard. The project will also enhance the accuracy of environmental claims associated with biogenic materials and empower decision makers to make more informed choices, thus spurring market demand for low embodied carbon products.
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
The grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality EPDs, which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
Service additions in trans-Pacific drive big boost in July deployed capacity
Carriers over the past two months have launched or reinstated seven services from Asia to Los Angeles-Long Beach, and three to Vancouver and the Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma.
Service additions in trans-Pacific drive big boost in July deployed capacity
Carriers over the past two months have launched or reinstated seven services from Asia to Los Angeles-Long Beach, and three to Vancouver and the Northwest Seaport Alliance of Seattle and Tacoma.
5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol – Delta-8 THC
Delta-8 THC products are not approved by the FDA and may put you at risk.
Rates from India to US, Europe explode amid heightened capacity pressures
Spot booking prices from West India to the US East and West coasts have seen four- to five-fold gains in the last week or so, according to local freight forwarders.
Rates from India to US, Europe explode amid heightened capacity pressures
Spot booking prices from West India to the US East and West coasts have seen four- to five-fold gains in the last week or so, according to local freight forwarders.
EPA Announces $3.9M to Support Clean Manufacturing of Construction Materials Across Chicago Area
CHICAGO (July 16, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse, a Chicago-area nonprofit organization, to receive $3,887,329 in funding to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials. EPA estimates that the construction materials used in buildings and other built infrastructure account for more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
“President Biden and Vice President Harris are leading the most ambitious climate and clean energy agenda in U.S. history and building a sustainable future using safer materials for the environment and for communities,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “By leveraging the U.S. Government’s purchasing power, President Biden is ensuring that American manufacturing is positioned to compete and lead globally, while catalyzing markets and accelerating innovation across the country.”Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The United States leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.
Nationally, 38 organizations were selected to receive a total of $160 million in Clean Construction Materials grants. Other organizations selected to fund projects in EPA Region 5:
· Knauf Insulation, Inc. – Indiana and Michigan
· HOLCIM US, Inc. – Illinois and Michigan
· Heidelberg Materials US, Inc. – Indiana
· University of Massachusetts Amherst – Illinois
· Oklahoma State University – Illinois
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
The Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse (doing business as the Rebuilding Exchange) is a Chicago-area nonprofit organization with a mission to reuse building materials, reduce construction waste, and train, support, and connect people seeking careers in the building trades. Rebuilding Exchange diverts building materials from landfills through two reuse retail stores in Evanston and Chicago and offers deconstruction services to homeowners who want to save their building materials from landfills.
Rebuilding Exchange will use data collected at its two reuse stores and through its deconstruction services to demonstrate the reduced embodied greenhouse gas in salvaged construction materials. Through this project, they will develop 25 environmental product declarations (EPDs), train 150 participants through a workforce training program, and share data online.
The goal of the project is to enhance the quality of greenhouse gas data associated with salvaged materials, provide tools for other practitioners, create new/updated EPDs that demonstrate the significant embodied carbon reduction and other environmental impacts of salvaged materials, and spur market demand.
The Clean Construction Materials grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality EPDs, which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Read summaries of proposed grantee projects.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
###
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
“President Biden and Vice President Harris are leading the most ambitious climate and clean energy agenda in U.S. history and building a sustainable future using safer materials for the environment and for communities,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “By leveraging the U.S. Government’s purchasing power, President Biden is ensuring that American manufacturing is positioned to compete and lead globally, while catalyzing markets and accelerating innovation across the country.”Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The United States leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.
Nationally, 38 organizations were selected to receive a total of $160 million in Clean Construction Materials grants. Other organizations selected to fund projects in EPA Region 5:
· Knauf Insulation, Inc. – Indiana and Michigan
· HOLCIM US, Inc. – Illinois and Michigan
· Heidelberg Materials US, Inc. – Indiana
· University of Massachusetts Amherst – Illinois
· Oklahoma State University – Illinois
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
The Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse (doing business as the Rebuilding Exchange) is a Chicago-area nonprofit organization with a mission to reuse building materials, reduce construction waste, and train, support, and connect people seeking careers in the building trades. Rebuilding Exchange diverts building materials from landfills through two reuse retail stores in Evanston and Chicago and offers deconstruction services to homeowners who want to save their building materials from landfills.
Rebuilding Exchange will use data collected at its two reuse stores and through its deconstruction services to demonstrate the reduced embodied greenhouse gas in salvaged construction materials. Through this project, they will develop 25 environmental product declarations (EPDs), train 150 participants through a workforce training program, and share data online.
The goal of the project is to enhance the quality of greenhouse gas data associated with salvaged materials, provide tools for other practitioners, create new/updated EPDs that demonstrate the significant embodied carbon reduction and other environmental impacts of salvaged materials, and spur market demand.
The Clean Construction Materials grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality EPDs, which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Read summaries of proposed grantee projects.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
###
EPA Announces $20.4 Million to Support Clean U.S. Manufacturing of Construction Materials Across New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico
NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of six recipients across Region 2 that together will receive approximately $20,463,059 in grants to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials. EPA estimates that the construction materials used in buildings and other built infrastructure account for more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting, and manufacturing their products.
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood, and other materials.
Pioneer Millworks – (working in NY/OR) has been selected to receive $302,300 and will be working both regionally and in region 10 to develop environmental product declarations (EPDs) for reclaimed and sustainably harvested wood flooring and paneling manufactured in the U.S. and to quantify their environmental advantages over existing EPDs. This initiative seeks to establish the environmental and marketing benefits of using more sustainable content and minimizing unhealthy chemicals in wood products.
Cornell University working in CA/NY has been selected to receive $2,499,999 and will be working both regionally and in region 9 to address gaps and challenges in the deconstruction-to-reuse value chain by convening experts across academia, industry and nonprofit organizations. Along with project partners Urban Machine (UM), Finger Lakes ReUse (FLR) and Build Reuse (BR) – Cornell University will develop a process and template called Salvage EPD (SEPD) that will function as a product catalog for salvaged materials.
HOLCIM US, Inc. (working in AL/CO/IL/MA/MD/MI/MO/NJ/NV/NY/OH/OK/PA/SC/TX/UT) has been selected to receive $1,371,814 and will be working both regionally and across regions 1,3,4,5,7,8 and 9. HOLCIM seeks to launch the EPD Accelerator Project which will increase the transparency of data on environmental emissions associated with the production of construction materials, generate robust EPDs with a diversity of manufacturers from across the U.S., and drive market demand for lower carbon construction materials.
Rochester Institute of Technology (working in NY) has been selected to receive $1,298,635. The university’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability aims to enhance the environmental impact data related to the production of construction materials and products, specifically those utilizing post-consumer waste. By providing technical assistance and conducting comprehensive life cycle assessments, the initiative will to promote a more circular economy, reduce landfill waste, conserve natural resources, and lower embodied carbon.
Heidelberg Materials US, Inc. (working in IN/NY/OR/PA/TX/WA) was selected to receive $5,000,000 and will be working regionally and in regions 3,5, 6 and 10 to create a robust, web-based tool that can help ready-mix concrete, cement and aggregate facilities produce EPDs and enable real-time adjustments and more. The tool will be made public to assist and improve the industry as a whole. The creation of a rapid and efficient EPD builder holds the potential to revolutionize carbon accounting and decision-making that will drive sustainability across the industry, enhancing the competitiveness of environmentally conscious manufacturers.
Oklahoma State University (working in AL/HI/IL/MD/NC/NH/NV/OK/OR/PR/WA) has been selected to receive $9,990,311 and will be working regionally and in regions 1, 3,4, 5, 6 and 9 to create a National Center for Sustainable Construction Materials to promote low carbon construction materials (LCCMs) and generate robust EPDs for materials such as asphalt, concrete, steel and their additives. In collaboration with 11 universities across the U.S., including the University of Illinois and University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the project will provide extensive training, create educational programs, and design tools and incentives for adopting LCCMs.
“As America continues to build more and thrive under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. "These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
“As we face the challenges of climate change, it is crucial to innovate and invest in sustainable practices," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "These grants will support businesses and institutions in our Region as they lead the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from construction materials and help build a cleaner, more resilient future for all our communities.”
“NJDEP congratulates our partners at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on providing $160 million in support of initiatives to reduce climate pollution resulting from the manufacture of construction materials and products,” New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “We are extremely grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for its transformative programs and initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect America’s environment while encouraging economic growth and green infrastructure.”
“I am proud to see money for clean construction make its way to New Jersey. We need to ensure American manufacturing is as climate-friendly as possible, and this investment brings us one step closer to our goals,” said Senator Bob Menendez.
“New York State is leading the fight against climate change and is paving the way to a greener future. This monumental investment by the EPA will help reduce climate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. I’m proud to have fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which is making this investment possible and has already unlocked millions to tackle climate change. I thank the EPA for making this critical investment and will continue to fight to protect our environment for generations to come,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
The grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality environmental product declarations (EPDs), which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
24-054
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood, and other materials.
Pioneer Millworks – (working in NY/OR) has been selected to receive $302,300 and will be working both regionally and in region 10 to develop environmental product declarations (EPDs) for reclaimed and sustainably harvested wood flooring and paneling manufactured in the U.S. and to quantify their environmental advantages over existing EPDs. This initiative seeks to establish the environmental and marketing benefits of using more sustainable content and minimizing unhealthy chemicals in wood products.
Cornell University working in CA/NY has been selected to receive $2,499,999 and will be working both regionally and in region 9 to address gaps and challenges in the deconstruction-to-reuse value chain by convening experts across academia, industry and nonprofit organizations. Along with project partners Urban Machine (UM), Finger Lakes ReUse (FLR) and Build Reuse (BR) – Cornell University will develop a process and template called Salvage EPD (SEPD) that will function as a product catalog for salvaged materials.
HOLCIM US, Inc. (working in AL/CO/IL/MA/MD/MI/MO/NJ/NV/NY/OH/OK/PA/SC/TX/UT) has been selected to receive $1,371,814 and will be working both regionally and across regions 1,3,4,5,7,8 and 9. HOLCIM seeks to launch the EPD Accelerator Project which will increase the transparency of data on environmental emissions associated with the production of construction materials, generate robust EPDs with a diversity of manufacturers from across the U.S., and drive market demand for lower carbon construction materials.
Rochester Institute of Technology (working in NY) has been selected to receive $1,298,635. The university’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability aims to enhance the environmental impact data related to the production of construction materials and products, specifically those utilizing post-consumer waste. By providing technical assistance and conducting comprehensive life cycle assessments, the initiative will to promote a more circular economy, reduce landfill waste, conserve natural resources, and lower embodied carbon.
Heidelberg Materials US, Inc. (working in IN/NY/OR/PA/TX/WA) was selected to receive $5,000,000 and will be working regionally and in regions 3,5, 6 and 10 to create a robust, web-based tool that can help ready-mix concrete, cement and aggregate facilities produce EPDs and enable real-time adjustments and more. The tool will be made public to assist and improve the industry as a whole. The creation of a rapid and efficient EPD builder holds the potential to revolutionize carbon accounting and decision-making that will drive sustainability across the industry, enhancing the competitiveness of environmentally conscious manufacturers.
Oklahoma State University (working in AL/HI/IL/MD/NC/NH/NV/OK/OR/PR/WA) has been selected to receive $9,990,311 and will be working regionally and in regions 1, 3,4, 5, 6 and 9 to create a National Center for Sustainable Construction Materials to promote low carbon construction materials (LCCMs) and generate robust EPDs for materials such as asphalt, concrete, steel and their additives. In collaboration with 11 universities across the U.S., including the University of Illinois and University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the project will provide extensive training, create educational programs, and design tools and incentives for adopting LCCMs.
“As America continues to build more and thrive under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. "These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
“As we face the challenges of climate change, it is crucial to innovate and invest in sustainable practices," said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. "These grants will support businesses and institutions in our Region as they lead the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from construction materials and help build a cleaner, more resilient future for all our communities.”
“NJDEP congratulates our partners at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on providing $160 million in support of initiatives to reduce climate pollution resulting from the manufacture of construction materials and products,” New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “We are extremely grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for its transformative programs and initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect America’s environment while encouraging economic growth and green infrastructure.”
“I am proud to see money for clean construction make its way to New Jersey. We need to ensure American manufacturing is as climate-friendly as possible, and this investment brings us one step closer to our goals,” said Senator Bob Menendez.
“New York State is leading the fight against climate change and is paving the way to a greener future. This monumental investment by the EPA will help reduce climate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. I’m proud to have fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which is making this investment possible and has already unlocked millions to tackle climate change. I thank the EPA for making this critical investment and will continue to fight to protect our environment for generations to come,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
The grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality environmental product declarations (EPDs), which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
24-054