California Asphalt Pavement Association
Vol. 15, Issue 26 || June 27, 2022
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Greetings!
This weekly report contains news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry, customers and agency partners in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements. To provide feedback or story ideas click HERE. Having difficulty viewing this newsletter? View as Webpage
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Reminder: Spots still available for 'The Future of Powering Construction Fleets in CA' webinar June 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. |
Procrastinator alert! There's still time to participate in a special educational webinar scheduled for today (Monday, June 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PDT) titled, "The Future of Powering Construction Fleets in California." The webinar is free and open to anyone, but pre-registration is required. Details and registration is HERE.
The CalAPA Environmental Committee is sponsoring the webinar, which features an impressive lineup of subject-matter experts who will look at the complex topic from many different angles, including examining current and expected regulations, changes in technology, equipment and more. The program will move fast and place a heavy emphasis on providing supplemental information and resources for later reference. The webinar builds on a highly successful webinar, "The Future of Powering Asphalt Plants in California," which was held June 20 and was attended by more than 80 participants. A recording of that webinar is available via the CalAPA Knowledge Center. Contact CalAPA to receive a link to that resource.
"I think there was a lot of good information and good perspective relative to where agencies, manufacturers of asphalt plants, suppliers of energy and raw materials producers are relative to the changes that are occurring in our state and it highlighted where there is consistency and inconsistencies between them," said CalAPA Environmental Co-Chair Scott Taylor with Taylor Environmental Services of the June 20 webinar. Added CalAPA's other Environmental Committee Co-Chair, Scott Cohen with Sespe Consulting: "I don’t know anywhere else you can see the diversity of perspectives in one program."
Confirmed speakers for the June 27 "Fleets" webinar include: Johanna Levine (On-Road), Craig Duehring (Off-Road), California Air Resources Board; Ed Galindo, eMobility Product Manager, Volvo; Scott Taylor, Taylor Environmental Services; Scott Cohen, Sespe Consulting; Drew Delaney, Associates Environmental; and Zach Lawson, Opal Fuels.
For more information on these or other CalAPA educational events, contact CalAPA at (916) 791-5044 or drop us a line HERE. |
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Decoupling gas prices from gas taxes devoted to transportation |
In an election year, politicians in both parties have been scrambling to demonstrate to voters they are sensitive to the impact of rising inflation, which has resulted in higher costs from everything from groceries to fuel prices.
An idea that has been floated in Sacramento and Washington is a temporary suspension of fuel taxes that are the foundation of funding for fixing roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure. Transportation advocates have howled in protest, however, and the proposals appear to be quickly falling out of favor. No fuel-tax provision was included in the state budget passed by the Legislature earlier this month, and a 3-cent per gallon inflation adjustment in state fuel taxes is set to take place on July 1 as scheduled.
Meanwhile, a deal has been reportedly struck between the Newsom Administration and legislative leaders to provide inflation relief to Californians decoupled from the gas tax. The payments, via the Franchise Tax Board, would be tied to income and could be more than $1,000 and be distributed to millions of Californians in the Fall, tapping the state's massive general fund surplus.
In Washington, meanwhile, President Biden's call for a temporary "gas tax holiday" also appears to be falling flat, even within his own party. The National Asphalt Pavement Association, a CalAPA partner, has created a special page where anyone can tell their elected representatives that a federal gas-tax holiday is a bad idea. It can be found HERE. According to NAPA, a temporary suspension of federal fuel taxes could cost the Highway Trust Fund $10 billion in lost revenue.
CalAPA's official position is that local, state and federal taxes devoted to transportation should be spent on transportation improvements as they were intended. To learn more about CalAPA's advocacy on behalf of the asphalt industry, click HERE. |
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An abundance of resources available on Environmental Product Declarations |
For many years CalAPA and its national partner, the National Asphalt Pavement Association, have been at the forefront of elevating knowledge in the industry of Environmental Product Declarations, which are the centerpiece of "The Road Forward," the asphalt industry's climate initiative.
California Asphalt magazine, the Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, recently provided an update on the EPD issue from the Federal Highway Administration perspective in its 2021 environmental-themed issue, which can be accessed HERE. That was preceded by a CalAPA magazine report on EPD implementation in California, which can be found HERE. The association also broadcast a webinar on EPDs on Jan. 8, 2019, featuring subject-matter experts from NAPA, Caltrans and the University of California Pavement Research Center. Longtime readers of the magazine will recall that EPDs were featured on the cover of the publication in 2017, which can be accessed on-line HERE, as well as at CalAPA conferences.
NAPA recently featured EPDs on its "Pave It Black" podcast, which can be accessed HERE. Information on the NAPA "Emerald Eco-Label" EPD tool can be found HERE. Information on "The Road Forward" initiative can be found HERE.
NAPA will be featuring a free webinar, "Quantifying GHG Emissions for the Asphalt Paving Industry" on July 26, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT. Details about that webinar can be found HERE. |
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Environmental Product Declarations first made the cover of the CalAPA magazine back in 2017. |
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A webinar on EPDs broadcast out of the CalAPA offices on Jan. 8, 2019 featured subject-matter experts from NAPA, Caltrans and the UCPRC. |
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The FHWA perspective on EPDs was featured in the most recent environment-themed issue of the CalAPA magazine in 2021. |
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CalAPA welcomes NCAT experts to California for Balanced Mix Design, RAP training sessions |
CalAPA was pleased to welcome representatives from the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University to California last week to conduct training sessions for industry and agency representatives on Balanced Mix Design (BMD) and Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAP).
The daylong sessions on BMD were held June 21 at the Caltrans Translab facility in Sacramento and were attended by more than 100 participants either in person or remotely. Dr. Randy West and Dr. Fan Yin, nationally known experts on the subject. Caltrans and industry representatives are developing a BMD implementation plan for California, and the NCAT representatives helped share experiences from other states.
On June 22, West and Yin also presented to the CalAPA statewide technical meeting that was held in virtual format and broadcast out of CalAPA's offices in West Sacramento. The subject matter was their experiences at the NCAT test track and in other states with utilizing higher percentages of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in pavement mixes. A recording of that presentation is also posted on the CalAPA Knowledge Center. Contact CalAPA HERE for a link to access that recording.
The in-person visit gave everyone an opportunity to pose for some fun photos that reinforce one of asphalt's important attributes -- a smooth ride. CalAPA and NCAT have coordinated on numerous educational initiatives for the benefit of the asphalt industry and our agency partners. Last year the association hosted NCAT's "Airfield Asphalt Certification Program (AACP) QC Manager Certification" class in Ontario. Earlier this year NCAT named CalAPA Technical Director Brandon Milar, P.E., as a member of the NCAT Applications Steering Committee. A previous Asphalt Insider story on that announcement is HERE. |
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Dr. Fan Yin with NCAT at the CalAPA offices on June 22. |
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Dr. Randy West and Dr. Fan Yin with NCAT broadcast from the CalAPA offices in West Sacramento for a special hybrid technical meeting June 22 on RAP. |
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Dr. Randy West with NCAT at the CalAPA offices on June 22. |
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CalAPA offices will be closed on Monday, July 4 in observance of the national Independence Day Holiday. The offices will reopen on Tuesday, July 5 during regular business hours.
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Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.
FREE WATER (GROUNDWATER): Water that is free to move through a soil mass under the influence of gravity.
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Paving Pointer of the Week |
Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.
PAVING OPERATION: Ask yourself: Is the equipment properly maintained and in proper working order? Does the foreman have a paving plan (i.e., the paving lanes and passes are painted out and a roller pattern has been established)?
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Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on the "Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Change in temperature, precipitation or wind for longer than 10 years.
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"When difficulties arise, the positive thinker takes them as creative opportunities."
-- Norman Vincent Peale
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CALAPA CALENDAR:
View all CalAPA events HERE.
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"The Future of Powering Our Fleets in California" webinar (FREE!)
Monday, June 27, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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Women of Asphalt California Branch meeting (Virtual)
Thursday, July 14, Noon to 1 p.m.
Details & registration HERE.
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Welcome back!
"Day at the Races" at Del Mar Race Track, Del Mar
Saturday, July 23
Details and registration HERE.
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Save the Dates!
Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference
Oct. 27-28, 2022
Hilton Sacramento Arden West Hotel, 2200 Harvard Street, Sacramento.
For exhibitor and sponsor information, contact Sophie You at (916) 791-5044.
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There's never been a better time to join the California Asphalt Pavement Association! Members receive insight and advanced notice on critical issues that impact every company's bottom line. CalAPA members also receive invitations to exclusive member-only events, in-depth "Member Alerts," our comprehensive asphalt market forecast for California, discounts and industry-specific networking opportunities not available anywhere else. CalAPA's new searchable on-line membership directory helps connect potential customers with member companies. Click HERE to download our Member Service brochure. Click HERE to view Vol. 1 of recent testimonials. Not convinced? Click HERE to view Vol. 2 of recent testimonials. With so much changing in the asphalt pavement industry, what you don't know can cost you! Click HERE to send us an e-mail inquiry, or contact Russell Snyder with CalAPA at (916) 791-5044. |
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We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. Click HERE to contact us with any comments or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Russell W. Snyder, CAE
Executive Director
California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®
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The "Asphalt Insider" is an official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. For more information or to inquire about membership, call (916) 791-5044, or click HERE to contact us. Copyright © 2022 California Asphalt Pavement Association -- All Rights Reserved. The CalAPA name (No. 5,621,794) and logo (No. 5,621,795) are registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
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P.O. Box 981300, West Sacramento, CA 95798
1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 211, West Sacramento, CA 95691
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