BY STEVEN FRIEDMAN In 2020, the United States government passed an updated version of its long-standing Anti-Money Laundering Act, modernizing how federal agencies could combat money laundering and other financial crimes. As part of the resulting policy updates, Congress enacted the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) on a bipartisan vote in early 2021. The law went into effect on January 1,…
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$14.5M DOE grant steers SCM-driven Queens Carbon toward cement partner
The U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded Queens Carbon $14.5 million to help fund a pilot supplementary cementitious materials facility engineered for 10 metric tons/day output and built at an existing portland cement operation. Applying hydrothermal technology, the Pine Brook, N.J. startup company crystallizes carbonate mineral feedstocks into Q-SCM binder, which exhibits potential…
Read MoreOSHA stresses site-specific plans in proposed heat protection standard
Under a proposed rule unveiled last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive indoor or outdoor temperatures. “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention” calls for employers to evaluate risks and—when increasing temperatures raise worker exposure—implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks…
Read MoreConcrete, cement, aggregate interests prevail in EPA EPD grant program
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced nearly $50 million in funding opportunities for cement, aggregate and concrete interests as part of an overall $160 million package for the Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Construction Materials and Products Program. “As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly…
Read MoreFederal funds support Cummins flagship powertrain plant evolution
Cummins Inc. has secured $75 million in Department of Energy funding to convert more than 350,000 square feet of Columbus, Ind. engine plant space for zero-emissions components and electric powertrain systems. The Inflation Reduction Act-rooted grant is the largest to date from Washington, D.C. awarded solely to the company. Cummins will match it for a total $150 million investment to…
Read MoreEngineers’ positive market projections inch upward
The American Council of Engineering Companies’ newest Engineering Business Sentiment report shows engineering firm executives have an extremely positive outlook on their firms’ financial standing (+86), the industry (+83), and the U.S. economy (+39). Optimism about the U.S. economy, specifically, has increased four points from last quarter and is up 54 points from its low of -15 in Q3 2022.…
Read MoreEnergy Department defines zero emissions building
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy; ASHRAE, Atlanta; CP staff The Energy Department’s new National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building will augment public and private owner efforts to decarbonize commercial or residential properties and lower home and business utility bills. The U.S. has upward of 130 million buildings or homes, which collectively require $400 billion-plus a year to heat, cool,…
Read MoreWhite House outlines carbon market and credit policy pointers
Sources: U.S. Department of the Treasury; CP staff Three Cabinet and three senior White House officials have issued a joint policy statement on voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), where public and private entities buy or sell credits representing one metric ton of carbon dioxide removed from, or captured or eliminated prior to release to, the atmosphere. VCMs have the potential to…
Read MoreCalPortland, Fortera mark milestone in mineralized CO2 concrete binder
San Jose-based Fortera Corp. has started ReAct concrete binder processing at a facility adjacent to the CalPortland Co., Redding, Calif. cement mill. The Redding ReCarb Plant is North America’s first industrial green cement and carbon dioxide mineralization facility—and one of the largest operations in the carbon capture and use class the world over. It is equipped for annual output of…
Read MoreGHG Inventory shows cement plant CO2 emissions’ positive trend
The latest Environmental Protection Agency Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks cites 2022 GHG loads of 5.489 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a 1.3 percent increase from the prior year. The GHG Inventory factors emissions of CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride—all pegged for their global warming potential when released to…
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