CONCRETE PAVEMENT PROGRESS 4 WWW.ACPA.ORG How America funds infrastructure must change. Our current process is a can we have kicked down the road for quite some time. Simply, the once reliable “gas tax” continues to become woefully inadequate as an overall funding source. Further, our world is rapidly changing—the demands and lifestyles of users are dramatically different than what they were even five years ago. The passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) acknowledged a changing world and priorities as well as how we disseminate funding to the states. While it didn’t offer a long-term fix to secure the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), it was perhaps a glimpse in a shifting philosophy. The use of grants to incentivize sustainability as a central White House objective was crafted in the highest offices of the Administration. As a result, since the implementation of IIJA, we’ve seen millions of dollars in the form of grants (as opposed to formula funding) make their way to state and local entities. On March 12, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the availability of the Low-Carbon Transportation Materials (LCTM) grants to incentivize changes in materials selection. The goal is laudable, but in highway materials selection, states are not generally conditioned to think differently by way of applying for funding quickly or implementing objectives set forth by elected officials. Hence, the Reduced Carbon Concrete Consortium (RC3) was born. In this edition, you will see reference to RC3, a consortium and a resource for DOTs and other qualifying entities interested in LCTM funds. The RC3 was formed by engineering professionals and rounded out by the ACPA, the CP Tech Center and other professional paving engineering experts. The partnership was expanded to include the National Read Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA), the MIT Sustainability Hub and the Concrete Advancement Foundation (CAF). Together, all of this knowledge has disseminated information to DOTs and agencies across the country to help navigate the new frontier and capitalize on opportunities for their regions. We have developed templates to assist with the application process, and we are otherwise helping ensure that states don’t miss out because they may not understand the options. Summer Editorial The partners of RC3 have decades of experience and are available as a free resource to help ensure that policy passed in Washington, DC is implementable at the state and local level. Throughout the rounds of the LCTM, we will be directly assisting qualifying entities. We are here to address confusion. However, we recognize that the confusion is not solely at the agency level. At the heart of policy-related change are Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)—those approved declarations explaining the life-cycle impacts of products. It is incumbent upon concrete paving contractors to understand and implement EPDs. It’s lofty, but not insurmountable and RC3 can help. Throughout the rest of the year, ACPA and its partners will be prioritizing its work with DOTs and contractors to improve understanding and implementation. Call on us as a resource. We are here. For more information, scan this QR code to be taken to the RC3 website. Having just completed a successful Mid-Year Meeting in Kansas City, we are already busy preparing for our Annual meeting, to be held December 3–5, 2024 in Phoenix, AZ. Laura O’Neill Kaumo President & CEO American Concrete Pavement Association Laura O’Neill Kaumo President & CEO American Concrete Pavement Association Stay up-to-date with ACPA Keep abreast of industry news, ACPA happenings and professional development opportunities by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. @paveconcrete @paveconcrete63 American Concrete Pavement Association
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