Economy

AISI, AISC, University of Massachusetts get ~$6.4M EPA grant
Written by Ethan Bernard
July 16, 2024
The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have received a grant to enhance emissions reporting for steel construction projects.
The ~$6.4 million grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act. The aim is enhancing clean steelmaking by helping document emissions intensity of steel and other construction materials.
AISI President and CEO Kevin Dempsey lauded the grant as a way to show American steel’s sustainability and promote transparency in steel manufacturing.
“This initiative will create a much-needed database that will immensely improve reporting for numerous stakeholders and help reduce environmental impacts,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
What grant covers
AISI said the grant will enable the team “to develop life-cycle inventory and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) tools that will automatically generate steel product EPDs — making the reporting process more efficient and seamless.”
The association added that the grant will make it possible “to develop an EPD repository, update the steel Product Category Rules for reporting the carbon emissions associated with producing specific steel products, and provide extensive educational outreach to students and design, construction, and steel industry professionals.”
Larger picture
This funding was part of the EPA’s announcement Tuesday on the selection of 38 grant recipients across the country, totaling ~$160 million, to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials and products.

Ethan Bernard
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