infrastructure and recycling

[Amy Perlmutter]

When Obama is sworn in, there is going to be a big stimulus package passed that will include two things: green jobs and infrastructure repair.  Recycled materials can probably be incorporated for many aspects of infrastructure repair- glass aggregate in road beds, tire shreds as light fill, compost for erosion control, recycled asphalt, maybe even bring back glassphalt or rubber modified asphalt, etc.  

Does anyone know if anyone is thinking about  or advocating for this?  And, if not, any ideas on who should and how to get them to? I would imagine there's a list out there somewhere of recycled highway products. I think things are going to be flying fast and furiously come the beginning of the year.  Any language to spec require recycled products should probably get moving now, maybe get some key legislators on the public works committee to run with this.

This seems like a great opportunity to boost local markets.

Amy 

Amy Perlmutter

Perlmutter Associates
23 Avon Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-5456

Strategic planning, partnership building, communications, and program design for a sustainable future

[Amy Perlmutter]

[Brad Guy]

One piece of legislation being prepared to address housing and vacant lands issues see below excerpt - directed to older urban communities suffering 20% population loss since 1970 - I was able to provide the language in items (6) and (7).

""To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to assist local governments and others to address large-scale property vacancy and abandonment, and for other purposes.

SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the “Urban and Suburban Communities Regeneration Act of 2009”.

(6) establishment of recovered building materials reuse and recycling infrastructure, facilities, incentives, and technical support;
(7) establishment of local government purchasing requirements for deconstruction to make use of existing building materials stock in new and rehabilitation construction""

Brad Guy, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
Cell: 814-571-8659

[Doug Koplow]

One thing the Obama "green" plan is likely to definitely have are very large new subsidies for conversion of biomass into energy. My guess is that any benefit recycled materials get through higher demand for materials in construction projects will be far outweighed by a continued erosion of the relative competitiveness of recycling versus waste-to-energy technologies due to poorly thought out public policies.

_______________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02140
www.earthtrack.net
Tel: 617/661-4700
Fax: 617/354-0463

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>>> Amy Perlmutter <a...@aperlmutter.com> 12/15/08 5:13 PM >>>

[David Biddle]

I may be way off base here, but there’s a series of executive orders on recycling, waste reduction, procurement, etc. now administered through the Office of the Environmental Executive. I would hope that that work would be expanded upon and refined. And, more than likely, that the office would get a few more staff people. See   http://ofee.gov/about/modified.asp#history  and go up the page for personnel.  

Can anyone say, Dana Arnold?

db
--
David Biddle, Executive Director
<http://www.gpcrc.com>
Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council
P.O. Box 4037
Philadelphia, PA 19118

215-247-3090 (desk)
215-432-8225 (cell)
Visit our new web log at: http://gpcrc.blogspot.com

[Amy Perlmutter]

i agree. I think at least part of what is driving the WTE resurgence is that these are big projects backed by venture capital and other deep pockets.  Those folks want to ensure they get their return on investment, and push public policy to help them do so, regardless of the bigger picture issues.  Not so different than the issues with corn. 

Maybe we need some big, sexy, expensive black box - type recycling technology to get peoples' attention.

Amy Perlmutter

Perlmutter Associates
23 Avon Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-5456

Strategic planning, partnership building, communications, and program design for a sustainable future

On Dec 15, 2008, at 11:10 PM, Doug Koplow wrote:

One thing the Obama "green" plan is likely to definitely have are very large new subsidies for conversion of biomass into energy.  My guess is that any benefit recycled materials get through higher demand for materials in construction projects will be far outweighed by a continued erosion of the relative competitiveness of recycling versus waste-to-energy technologies due to poorly thought out public policies.

_______________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA  02140
www.earthtrack.net
Tel:  617/661-4700
Fax: 617/354-0463

          CONFIDENTIAL
This message, and all attachments thereto, is for the designated recipient
only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private
information.  If you have received it in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete the original.  Any other use of the email by you
is prohibited.

Amy Perlmutter <a...@aperlmutter.com> 12/15/08 5:13 PM >>>

When Obama is sworn in, there is going to be a big stimulus package  

[Ear...@aol.com]

Just to add info, there is a large group of product categories covered under the EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines that by law are to be purchased with recycled content.  This applies to any govt purchases made with federal dollars, so it covers state and local govts, as well as all federal agencies.  Periodically, more groups of products are qualified and added.  I know highway construction products and landscaping products are included; not sure about building materials.  However, LEED probably has requirements for some of those.

Gretchen Brewer

In a message dated 12/16/08 6:33:39 AM, Dbi...@gpcrc.com writes:

I may be way off base here, but there’s a series of executive orders on recycling, waste reduction, procurement, etc. now administered through the Office of the Environmental Executive. I would hope that that work would be expanded upon and refined. And, more than likely, that the office would get a few more staff people. See   http://ofee.gov/about/modified.asp#history  and go up the page for personnel.  

Can anyone say, Dana Arnold?

db
--
David Biddle, Executive Director
<http://www.gpcrc.com>
Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council
P.O. Box 4037
Philadelphia, PA 19118

215-247-3090 (desk)
215-432-8225 (cell)
Visit our new web log at: http://gpcrc.blogspot.com


on 12/15/08 5:07 PM, Amy Perlmutter at a...@aperlmutter.com wrote:

When Obama is sworn in, there is going to be a big stimulus package passed that will include two things: green jobs and infrastructure repair.  Recycled materials can probably be incorporated for many aspects of infrastructure repair- glass aggregate in road beds, tire shreds as light fill, compost for erosion control, recycled asphalt, maybe even bring back glassphalt or rubber modified asphalt, etc.  

Does anyone know if anyone is thinking about  or advocating for this?  And, if not, any ideas on who should and how to get them to? I would imagine there's a list out there somewhere of recycled highway products. I think things are going to be flying fast and furiously come the beginning of the year.  Any language to spec require recycled products should probably get moving now, maybe get some key legislators on the public works committee to run with this.

This seems like a great opportunity to boost local markets.

Amy


 
Amy Perlmutter
Perlmutter Associates
23 Avon Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-5456
Strategic planning, partnership building, communications, and program design for a sustainable future




 

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