![\"\"](\"https:\/\/acmanet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/shutterstock_699637054-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The\u00a0dollar value, if not\u00a0the\u00a0market share, of composite products used for transportation, energy and water infrastructure will get a big boost under a bill\u00a0that passed\u00a0the\u00a0Senate\u00a0on\u00a0August 10.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide\u00a0a historic level of spending\u00a0on\u00a0infrastructure.\u00a0The\u00a0$1T authorized total includes $550B in new spending to be allocated over 5 years, including $110B above baseline for roads and bridges, $17B for waterway and coastal infrastructure, $55B for drinking water and wastewater systems, and $73B for electric power systems.<\/p>\n
Much of\u00a0the\u00a0spending will be for projects for which composites should be a preferred material because of superior lifecycle performance. For example,\u00a0the\u00a0bill includes a total of $40B of new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, which, according to a White House statement, is\u00a0the\u00a0single largest dedicated bridge investment since\u00a0the\u00a0construction of\u00a0the\u00a0interstate highway system.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0bill sets up a $5B Energy Department grant program for utility pole management and other projects to lessen energy supply disruptions resulting from extreme weather, wildfire, or natural disaster, and wildfire will be included in\u00a0the\u00a0Stafford Act\u2019s hazard mitigation program administered by FEMA. $9.5B is also provided to\u00a0the\u00a0Energy Department for a program to demonstrate and commercialize clean hydrogen production, processing, delivery, and end-use application technology.<\/p>\n
New EPA grant programs will provide $55B to improve\u00a0the\u00a0infrastructure resilience and operational sustainability of public drinking water systems and wastewater treatment systems.\u00a0The\u00a0Corps of Engineers and Transportation Department will get $10B for infrastructure projects at inland and coastal waterways.<\/p>\n
Domestically produced composite products may benefit under\u00a0the\u00a0Build America, Buy America provisions of\u00a0the\u00a0bill. None of\u00a0the\u00a0funds made available for infrastructure may be allocated to a project unless all\u00a0the\u00a0iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in\u00a0the\u00a0project are produced in\u00a0the\u00a0United States. Manufactured products are also required to have at least 55% domestic content. Requests for waivers of\u00a0these requirements are to be published in\u00a0the\u00a0Federal Register and approvals granted\u00a0only following consideration of public comments.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Senate bill includes several provisions to pay for\u00a0the\u00a0infrastructure investments, including\u00a0the\u00a0reimposition of taxes under\u00a0the\u00a0Superfund Program\u00a0on\u00a0producers of certain chemicals.\u00a0The\u00a0American Chemistry Council maintains\u00a0these taxes will result in higher costs for U.S. manufacturers and disruption of\u00a0the\u00a0domestic supply of chemicals used in a broad range of industries.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Senate bill contains none of\u00a0the\u00a0incentives for use of composites and other non-traditional materials that\u00a0ACMA\u00a0has worked to support for\u00a0the\u00a0past several years, notably through\u00a0the\u00a0IMAGINE Act.\u00a0The\u00a0infrastructure bill passed earlier this year by\u00a0the\u00a0House, by contrast, includes significant incentives for states to use bridge designs that reduce lifecycle costs including maintenance costs, funding for research\u00a0on\u00a0innovative bridge technologies, and federal programs to support development of standards for use of non-traditional materials in infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0bill could be amended in\u00a0the\u00a0House and sent back for reconsideration in\u00a0the\u00a0Senate, but\u00a0the\u00a0White House will likely press for passage in\u00a0the\u00a0House without amendments.\u00a0Democratic leadership in\u00a0the\u00a0House say\u00a0they won\u2019t take up\u00a0the\u00a0infrastructure bill until\u00a0the\u00a0Senate approves a $3.5T spending package for other components of\u00a0the\u00a0President\u2019s agenda including climate change, education, and health care, which Republicans and some moderate Democrats oppose. In\u00a0the\u00a0meantime, Congress will likely need to pass a continuing resolution providing infrastructure funding at\u00a0the\u00a0current levels following\u00a0the\u00a0October 1 start of\u00a0the\u00a0new fiscal year.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The\u00a0dollar value, if not\u00a0the\u00a0market share, of composite products used for transportation, energy and water infrastructure will get a big boost … <\/p>\n