NRMCA Applies for EPA Grant to Support Low-Carbon Concrete

NRMCA has submitted an application for a grant from EPA for nearly $10 million over 5 years to support the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs); improve the EPD verification process; and enhance Product Category Rule (PCR) for concrete and constituent materials. The goal of the EPD Assistance Program, as outlined in Inflation Reduction Act Section 60112(a), is “…to support the development, enhanced standardization and transparency, and reporting criteria for Environmental Product Declarations that include measurements of the embodied greenhouse gas emissions of the material or product associated with all relevant stages of production, use, and disposal, and conform with international standards, for construction materials and products…”

The majority of the NRMCA grant request is to provide “pass-through” grants to concrete producers to offset the cost of developing and verifying EPDs. There are grants available for ready mix producers that do not have EPDs located in regions with few or no EPDs and also for companies that already have EPDs to publish them for concrete with a carbon footprint lower than NRMCA benchmarks. NRMCA also requested funding to provide technical assistance to producers and design professionals on how to develop and use EPDs.

NRMCA also asked for funding to develop a cradle-to-grave EPD for concrete and to support admixture companies and lightweight aggregate companies to develop PCRs and EPDs. NRMCA coordinated its grant application with PCA, NSSGA and MIT CSH in order to address other constituent materials such as cement and SCMs and aggregates.

EPA will announce awards in May and begin funding in August.

For more information, contact Lionel Lemay at llemay@nrmca.org or 847-922-7995.