Floor SpeechNeutral2025-03-24

INNOVATIVE MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ASPHALT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES ACT

ClimateEnvironmentForeign PolicyEducationInfrastructureAgriculture

Context

On 2025-03-24, Representative Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC-4) delivered a floor speech titled "INNOVATIVE MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ASPHALT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES ACT" in the House. The speech addressed climate policy and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation: HR1534.

Full Text

INNOVATIVE MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ASPHALT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1209-H1212] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] INNOVATIVE MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ASPHALT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES ACT Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1534) to strengthen and enhance the competitiveness of American industry through the research and development of advanced technologies to improve the efficiency of cement, concrete, and asphalt production, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1534 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies Act'' or the ``IMPACT Act''. SEC. 2. ADVANCED CEMENT, CONCRETE, AND ASPHALT PRODUCTION RESEARCH PROGRAM. (a) Program.--Part I of subtitle C of title V of division D of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ``SEC. 40523. ADVANCED CEMENT, CONCRETE, AND ASPHALT PRODUCTION RESEARCH PROGRAM. ``(a) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Advanced production.--The term `advanced production' means production of cement, concrete, or asphalt with one or more of the following improvements with respect to the production of commercially available cement, concrete, or asphalt: ``(A) Improved cost-effectiveness. ``(B) Improved quality, durability, engineering performance, and resilience. ``(C) Improved efficiency of resource consumption and material demand. ``(2) Alternative fuels.--The term `alternative fuels' means any solid, liquid, or gaseous materials, or a combination thereof, used to replace or supplement any portion of fuels used in combustion or pyrolysis for low- emissions cement, concrete, or asphalt. ``(3) Commercially available.--The term `commercially available', with respect to cement, concrete, and asphalt, means that the cement, concrete, or asphalt is-- ``(A) readily and widely available for purchase in the United States; and ``(B) produced using a production method of cement, concrete, or asphalt products, as applicable, that is widely in use. ``(4) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means any of the following: ``(A) An institution of higher education. ``(B) An appropriate State or Federal entity, including a federally funded research and development center of the Department. ``(C) A nonprofit research institution. ``(D) A private entity. ``(E) Any other relevant entity the Secretary determines appropriate. ``(F) A partnership or consortium of two or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (E). ``(5) Engineering performance-based standard.--The term `engineering performance-based standard' means an existing engineering standard with respect to which the requirements applicable to such standard are stated in terms of required results, with criteria for verifying compliance rather than specific composition, design, or procedure. ``(6) Institution of higher education.--The term `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). ``(7) Low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt.--The term `low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt' means cement, concrete, asphalt binder, or asphalt mixture that reduces, to the maximum extent practicable, greenhouse gas or directly-related copollutant emissions to levels below commercially available cement, concrete, or asphalt. ``(8) Rural area.--The term `rural area' has the meaning given such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)). ``(b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of advanced tools, technologies, and methods for advanced production and use of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt in order to accomplish the following: ``(1) Increase the technological and economic competitiveness of industry and production in the United States. ``(2) Expand and increase the stability of supply chains through enhanced domestic production, nearshoring, and cooperation with allies. ``(3) Achieve measurable greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emissions reductions in the production processes for cement, concrete, and asphalt products. ``(4) Create quality domestic jobs. ``(c) Requirements.--In carrying out the program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall carry out the following: ``(1) Coordinate with the programs and activities authorized under title VI of division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (relating to industrial and manufacturing technologies) and the amendments made by such title. ``(2) Coordinate across all relevant program offices of the Department, including the Office of Science, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, the Office of Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization, the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, and the Office of Nuclear Energy. ``(3) Leverage, to the extent practicable, the research infrastructure of the Department, including scientific computing user facilities, x-ray light sources, neutron scattering facilities, and nanoscale science research centers. ``(4) Conduct research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of the advanced production of low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt that have the potential to increase domestic production and employment in both advanced and commercially available processes. ``(d) Strategic Plan.-- ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall develop a 5-year strategic plan identifying research, development, demonstration, and commercial application goals for such program. The Secretary shall submit such plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. ``(2) Contents.--The strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall-- [[Page H1210]] ``(A) identify programs at the Department related to the advanced production of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt that support the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities described in this section, and the demonstration projects under subsection (f); ``(B) establish technological and programmatic goals to achieve the requirements specified in subsection (c); and ``(C) include timelines for the accomplishment of such goals developed under the plan. ``(3) Updates to plan.--Not less than once every two years, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate an updated version of the strategic plan under paragraph (1). ``(e) Focus Areas.--In carrying out the program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall focus on the following: ``(1) Carbon capture technologies for low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt production processes, which may include the following: ``(A) Oxycombustion and chemical looping technologies. ``(B) Precombustion technologies. ``(C) Post combustion technologies. ``(D) Direct carbon dioxide separation technologies. ``(2) Materials, technologies, inputs, and processes that-- ``(A) produce fewer greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emissions during production, use, and end use of cement, concrete, and asphalt; or ``(B) provide quality, durability, resilience, engineering, or other performance metrics equal to or greater than commercially available products. ``(3) Medium- and high-temperature heat-generation technologies used for the advanced production of low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt, which may include the following: ``(A) Alternative fuels. ``(B) Renewable heat-generation and storage technology. ``(C) Electrification of heating processes. ``(D) Other clean heat-generation technologies and sources. ``(4) Technologies and practices that increase the efficiency of energy use, natural resource consumption, or material demand, which may include the following: ``(A) Designing products that encourage reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling. ``(B) Minimizing waste, including waste heat, from low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt production processes, including through the reuse of waste as a resource in other industrial processes for mutual benefit. ``(C) Increasing the overall energy efficiency of low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt production processes, including through life cycle assessments. ``(5) Technologies and approaches to reduce greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emissions from the advanced production of cement, concrete, and asphalt. ``(6) High-performance computing to develop advanced materials and production processes that may contribute to the focus areas described in paragraphs (1) through (5), including the following: ``(A) Modeling, simulation, and optimization of the design of cost-effective and energy-efficient products and processes. ``(B) The use of digital prototyping and additive production to enhance product design. ``(7) Advanced sensor technologies and methods to monitor and quantify the performance of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt materials at scale and under a variety of conditions. ``(8) Technologies that can be retrofitted at cement, concrete, and asphalt plants that represent the most

Referenced legislation: HR1534, HR1534

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INNOVATIVE MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ASPHALT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES ACT Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 53 (Monday, March 24, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1209-H1212] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] INNOVATIVE MITIGATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ASPHALT AND CONCRETE TECHNOLOGIES ACT Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1534) to strengthen and enhance the competitiveness of American industry through the research and development of advanced technologies to improve the efficiency of cement, concrete, and asphalt production, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1534 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Innovative Mitigation Partnerships for Asphalt and Concrete Technologies Act'' or the ``IMPACT Act''. SEC. 2. ADVANCED CEMENT, CONCRETE, AND ASPHALT PRODUCTION RESEARCH PROGRAM. (a) Program.--Part I of subtitle C of title V of division D of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: ``SEC. 40523. ADVANCED CEMENT, CONCRETE, AND ASPHALT PRODUCTION RESEARCH PROGRAM. ``(a) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Advanced production.--The term `advanced production' means production of cement, concrete, or asphalt with one or more of the following improvements with respect to the production of commercially available cement, concrete, or asphalt: ``(A) Improved cost-effectiveness. ``(B) Improved quality, durability, engineering performance, and resilience. ``(C) Improved efficiency of resource consumption and material demand. ``(2) Alternative fuels.--The term `alternative fuels' means any solid, liquid, or gaseous materials, or a combination thereof, used to replace or supplement any portion of fuels used in combustion or pyrolysis for low- emissions cement, concrete, or asphalt. ``(3) Commercially available.--The term `commercially available', with respect to cement, concrete, and asphalt, means that the cement, concrete, or asphalt is-- ``(A) readily and widely available for purchase in the United States; and ``(B) produced using a production method of cement, concrete, or asphalt products, as applicable, that is widely in use. ``(4) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means any of the following: ``(A) An institution of higher education. ``(B) An appropriate State or Federal entity, including a federally funded research and development center of the Department. ``(C) A nonprofit research institution. ``(D) A private entity. ``(E) Any other relevant entity the Secretary determines appropriate. ``(F) A partnership or consortium of two or more entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (E). ``(5) Engineering performance-based standard.--The term `engineering performance-based standard' means an existing engineering standard with respect to which the requirements applicable to such standard are stated in terms of required results, with criteria for verifying compliance rather than specific composition, design, or procedure. ``(6) Institution of higher education.--The term `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). ``(7) Low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt.--The term `low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt' means cement, concrete, asphalt binder, or asphalt mixture that reduces, to the maximum extent practicable, greenhouse gas or directly-related copollutant emissions to levels below commercially available cement, concrete, or asphalt. ``(8) Rural area.--The term `rural area' has the meaning given such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)). ``(b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of advanced tools, technologies, and methods for advanced production and use of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt in order to accomplish the following: ``(1) Increase the technological and economic competitiveness of industry and production in the United States. ``(2) Expand and increase the stability of supply chains through enhanced domestic production, nearshoring, and cooperation with allies. ``(3) Achieve measurable greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emissions reductions in the production processes for cement, concrete, and asphalt products. ``(4) Create quality domestic jobs. ``(c) Requirements.--In carrying out the program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall carry out the following: ``(1) Coordinate with the programs and activities authorized under title VI of division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (relating to industrial and manufacturing technologies) and the amendments made by such title. ``(2) Coordinate across all relevant program offices of the Department, including the Office of Science, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, the Office of Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization, the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, and the Office of Nuclear Energy. ``(3) Leverage, to the extent practicable, the research infrastructure of the Department, including scientific computing user facilities, x-ray light sources, neutron scattering facilities, and nanoscale science research centers. ``(4) Conduct research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of the advanced production of low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt that have the potential to increase domestic production and employment in both advanced and commercially available processes. ``(d) Strategic Plan.-- ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall develop a 5-year strategic plan identifying research, development, demonstration, and commercial application goals for such program. The Secretary shall submit such plan to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. ``(2) Contents.--The strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall-- [[Page H1210]] ``(A) identify programs at the Department related to the advanced production of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt that support the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities described in this section, and the demonstration projects under subsection (f); ``(B) establish technological and programmatic goals to achieve the requirements specified in subsection (c); and ``(C) include timelines for the accomplishment of such goals developed under the plan. ``(3) Updates to plan.--Not less than once every two years, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate an updated version of the strategic plan under paragraph (1). ``(e) Focus Areas.--In carrying out the program under subsection (b), the Secretary shall focus on the following: ``(1) Carbon capture technologies for low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt production processes, which may include the following: ``(A) Oxycombustion and chemical looping technologies. ``(B) Precombustion technologies. ``(C) Post combustion technologies. ``(D) Direct carbon dioxide separation technologies. ``(2) Materials, technologies, inputs, and processes that-- ``(A) produce fewer greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emissions during production, use, and end use of cement, concrete, and asphalt; or ``(B) provide quality, durability, resilience, engineering, or other performance metrics equal to or greater than commercially available products. ``(3) Medium- and high-temperature heat-generation technologies used for the advanced production of low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt, which may include the following: ``(A) Alternative fuels. ``(B) Renewable heat-generation and storage technology. ``(C) Electrification of heating processes. ``(D) Other clean heat-generation technologies and sources. ``(4) Technologies and practices that increase the efficiency of energy use, natural resource consumption, or material demand, which may include the following: ``(A) Designing products that encourage reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling. ``(B) Minimizing waste, including waste heat, from low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt production processes, including through the reuse of waste as a resource in other industrial processes for mutual benefit. ``(C) Increasing the overall energy efficiency of low- emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt production processes, including through life cycle assessments. ``(5) Technologies and approaches to reduce greenhouse gas or directly related copollutant emissions from the advanced production of cement, concrete, and asphalt. ``(6) High-performance computing to develop advanced materials and production processes that may contribute to the focus areas described in paragraphs (1) through (5), including the following: ``(A) Modeling, simulation, and optimization of the design of cost-effective and energy-efficient products and processes. ``(B) The use of digital prototyping and additive production to enhance product design. ``(7) Advanced sensor technologies and methods to monitor and quantify the performance of low-emissions cement, concrete, and asphalt materials at scale and under a variety of conditions. ``(8) Technologies that can be retrofitted at cement, concrete, and asphalt plants that represent the most Referenced legislation: HR1534, HR1534