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
Read more from Ethan BernardLatest in Economy

ISM: Manufacturing growth slows in July, hits 10-month low
US manufacturing activity slowed again in July to a 10-month low

CRU: Pushing EU imports back to 15% would be a big task
Several EU member states have published a ‘non-paper’ that puts forward proposals for a post-safeguard trade measure.

SMU Community Chat: Tariff-induced panic purchases, inflation, and calculating costs
Chief executive of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), Tom Derry highlighted how reactive buying behavior has shifted the market into a quiet demand period. Derry presented ISM data during the weekly SMU community chat.

Architecture billings still sluggish despite project inquiry uptick
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI), a leading indicator for non-residential construction activity, declined for an eighth straight month in June.

Beige Book: Tariff pressures mount, flat outlook
All districts reported “experiencing modest to pronounced input cost pressures related to tariffs, especially for raw materials used in manufacturing and construction.”