On February 15, AGC participated in the FHWA virtual summit for Every Day Counts (EDC) on environmental product declarations to provide the contractors’ perspective on delivering sustainable infrastructure.
On February 15, AGC participated in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) virtual summit for Every Day Counts (EDC). The summit provided participants an opportunity to learn about the seven initiatives featured in this cycle of EDC. EDC is a State-based model that identifies and rapidly deploys proven, yet underutilized innovations to improve safety for all users, shorten the project delivery process, create an equitable transportation system, and build sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
AGC participated in the initiative on Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to deliver sustainable infrastructure. As EPDs become more prevalent with state departments of transportation (DOTs), like we saw over the last decade in the green building space, AGC advised there are several considerations that DOTs will need to evaluate.
Some of these considerations for DOTs to consider include:
- Impact of using EPDs and making materials choices based on embodied carbon in transportation is new;
- Burden on existing or new staff needed to administer these tools and decisions on projects is unknown;
- Impact on the supply chain is unknown;
- Risk for DOTs and contractors (i.e., if the embodied carbon of a project is different than expected, who will be responsible; if the materials do not perform, who is liable); and
- Impact on small or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) or small suppliers and contractors.
AGC members have been at the forefront of building green for decades, making communities safer and healthier, and our public infrastructure more efficient and resilient. However, as it relates to EPDs, AGC advocates that there needs to be an adequate transition time and waiver processes to ensure there are not unintended consequences to the supply chain like the industry has seen in the last two years.
For more information, contact Alex Etchen at Alex.etchen@agc.org or Melinda Tomaino at Melinda.Tomaino@agc.org.