{"id":1763,"date":"2024-07-18T10:20:48","date_gmt":"2024-07-18T14:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/sce3\/?p=1763"},"modified":"2024-07-18T10:20:48","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T14:20:48","slug":"environmentally-preferable-purchasing-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/sce3\/environmentally-preferable-purchasing-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Pollution<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $160 Million in Grants to Support Clean U.S. Manufacturing of Steel and Other Construction Materials<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Grants from President Biden\u2019s Inflation Reduction Act will support the renewal of American manufacturing by helping businesses produce low-carbon materials<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, July 16, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of 38 grant recipients across the country, totaling nearly $160 million, to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products. EPA estimates that the construction materials used in buildings and other infrastructure account for more than 15% of annual greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country\u2019s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden\u2019s Inflation Reduction Act\u2014the largest climate investment in history\u2014will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s Federal Buy Clean Initiative<\/a>, which leverages the U.S. government\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs America continues to build more and upgrade our nation\u2019s infrastructure under President Biden\u2019s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation\u2019s prosperity,\u201d said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. \u201cThese 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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPresident 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,\u201d said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. \u201cBy leveraging the U.S. Government\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy EPA Administrator Janet McCabe announced the grant selections today at Superior Paving, an asphalt facility in Chantilly, Virginia, alongside Richard Willis, PhD, Vice President for Engineering, Research, & Technology at the National Asphalt Pavement Association, and additional federal and industry leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranging from $250,000 to $10 million, 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 products. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grant selections include a diverse range of projects to help measure and ultimately reduce greenhouse gases. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n