Grants from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will support the renewal of American manufacturing by helping businesses produce low-carbon materials.
ATLANTA (July 17, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Georgia will benefit from two grants totaling approximately $1,457,600 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 are required to build, maintain and operate the country’s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads in the production of clean construction materials, and these awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history—will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure 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 position as the largest purchaser globally 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 to help disclose environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
Atlas Roofing Corporation has been selected to receive $733,940 for work in 18 states including Georgia. Atlas Roofing Corporation is a provider of asphalt shingles; roof underlayments; rigid expanded polystyrene; polyiso insulation; geofoam; cold chain; protective packaging; lost foam; coated paper facers; and underlayments produced from four segmented divisions: Polyiso Roof & Wall Insulation; Shingle and Underlayment; Molded Products; Web Technologies. The project will develop detailed life cycle assessments and verified environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its products. The company will also develop a life cycle inventory of glass facer products used in insulation and roofing materials to advance industry-wide transparency.
Atlanta-based Belter Tech Inc., has been selected to receive $723,660. Belter Tech addresses the global environmental impact of construction by combating greenhouse gas emissions and utilizing waste glass plastics and polyisocyanurate foam from landfills for aggregate in cement/concrete production. Belter Tech’s project aims to contribute new data for producing high-quality EPDs for alternative aggregate products while establishing robust tools to make the EPD process easier faster more cost-effective for carbon capturing products. Their project will enhance transparency efficiency in carbon-capturing product certification aiming for net-zero carbon neutrality by 2025.
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership cleaner construction materials like concrete steel are increasingly essential,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials further growing American jobs paving way clean energy economy.”
The grants aim to help businesses develop robust high-quality EPDs showing environmental impacts across a product's life allowing buyers compare sustainable purchasing decisions better investments data tools making high-quality EPDs available material categories both new salvaged reused standardizing expanding market lower greenhouse gas emissions making it easier federal state local governments institutional buyers ensure funded projects use more climate-friendly products.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities businesses federal government organizations offering initial EPD development support directing resources measuring reducing embodied carbon such as ENERGY STAR Industrial program enabling agencies suppliers compare climate impact various materials driving near-term reductions strengthened label program identifying low-carbon marketplace.
Together these programs supported by Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act 2022 create significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions extraction transport manufacturing providing over $2 billion General Services AdministrationExit EPA website use low embodied carbon federal building renovations another $2 billion Federal Highway AdministrationExit EPA website incentivize reimburse transportation projects using low embodied carbon selections contingent upon legal administrative requirements grantees tentatively expected funding late summer.
