PCA, Ash, Slag and Pozzolan groups land EPA grant for EPDs

Sources: Portland Cement Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $2.4 million to advance a project boosting the number of facility-specific Environmental Product Declarations from Portland Cement Association, American Coal Ash Association, Natural Pozzolan Association and Slag Cement Association members. The project will entail PCA distributing up to $1.5 million in grants to eligible producers over the next five years. The association will also provide training and on-call technical assistance to guide portland or slag cement, fly ash and natural pozzolan producers from EPD development to verification to publishing of the final declaration. Additionally, PCA will help initiate and regularly update industry-average EPDs for cementitious materials.

**The EPA grant positions PCA and partners to deepen the cement and cementitious materials EPD library.**

The funding stems from the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022 with the support of groups including PCA. “Getting EPA approval to move forward with this project is representative of our environmental efforts coming full circle,” says PCA CEO Mike Ireland. “We’ll be communicating environmental impact data in a more detailed fashion throughout the industry, which should help us to hasten our pace toward carbon neutrality.”

Beyond the PCA, ACAA, SCA and NPA project, separate EPA grants have been announced for National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association and joint American Concrete Pipe Association-National Precast Concrete Association- Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute projects advancing individual and industry wide EPDs.