ACPA has been navigating the very complicated world of clean air emission standards set by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental departments, most notably the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Significant emission standard reductions are now in place and more are expected over the next three years. Existing and expected reduced emission standards at the state and federal level will impact every concrete pumper in the near future.
In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Clean Truck Plan to reduce truck emissions through a series of three rulemakings, all targeting emission reductions starting in model year 2027. The first was a reduction in the NOx emission standard by over 80 percent for heavy-duty trucks. EPA finalized this new NOx emission standard in December 2022. The second is the greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty trucks proposed in April 2023 and discussed in more detail below. The third rule will set multipollutant standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles beginning in model year 2027.
ST. LOUIS, MO – Concrete contractors with exemplary safety records for 2022 were recognized by the Safety & Risk Management Council (SRMC) of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), St. Louis, Mo., at the association’s Twenty-second Annual Conference on September 27th in Grand Rapids, MI.
The American Concrete Pumping Association recognizes the importance of engaging with both congressional and executive branch policymakers whose work directly affects our members’ business. ACPA’s advocacy targets congressional committees that pass the laws authorizing federal funding for infrastructure programs and regulate the construction and transportation industries. Infrastructure projects use a lot of concrete, and road projects support the good condition of our nation’s roads and bridges on which our pumps travel every day.
Late last month, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published proposed greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty truck emissions for model year 2027 through 2032. EPA emission standards apply to concrete pumps nationwide. These new “Phase 3” standards build on the “Phase 2” standards established in 2016.
The 118th Congress got off to a slow start while the House Republican leadership race sorted in early January, leaving Kevin McCarthy as the new Speaker of the House after 15 votes. The extended race for the leader highlighted various, sometimes conflicting, positions that Speaker McCarthy must navigate within his caucus. This will be a challenging session.
As summer activity winds down in Washington in early August and federal legislators return to their states and districts to visit with their constituents, and in some cases campaign for the upcoming midterm elections, we have a chance to reflect on this session of Congress to date, and to look ahead through the rest of the year.
In April, we joined our fellow cement and concrete industry groups for the Washington Fly-In, in person for the first time in a couple of years. In dozens of meetings on Capitol Hill, ACPA’s seven participants made the case for the Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act; against favorable treatment for mass timber construction; for federal workforce support for technical training; and against short-term reductions in the federal gas tax.
For years, “This is infrastructure week!” was the cry from Washington, involving a constant outreach to federal policymakers and legislators stressing the importance of maintaining our nation’s existing infrastructure while building the twenty-first century infrastructure needed to compete globally. After too many meetings, hearings, bill drafts, mark-ups and floor debates over the years, we finally did it. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was signed into law last November.
