PCA Executive Report

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House TEA-21 Reauthorization Bill Introduced On February 9, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-AK), Ranking Democrat James Oberstar (D-MN), and Highway Subcommittee Chairman Tom Petri (R-WI) and Ranking Democrat Peter DeFazio (D-OR), re-introduced a revised version of their surface transportation reauthorization bill from last Congress. The bill, H.R. 3, holds the same title as last year, the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” (TEA-LU). Read the complete story in the Washington Weekly below.

New Identity Retools Image To better reflect the breadth and variety of services it provides to clients, Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc., is now CTLGroup. The new corporate identity was introduced last month at World of Concrete 2005 in Las Vegas. In announcing the change, CTLGroup president and CEO Anthony Fiorato said, “We believe our new brand more accurately communicates the range of services, technologies, and capabilities that clients seek. The new identity also incorporates the positioning statement "Building Knowledge. Delivering results." The consulting and testing firm began more than 75 years ago as the research and development arm of PCA and remains a PCA subsidiary. It has operated as an independent corporation since 1987.

Group Hopes to Save Historic Cement Kilns from Wrecking Ball The Saylor Cement Kilns Preservation Society is applying for grants and seeking donations to save historic kilns earmarked for demolition in Coplay, Pa. The century-old kilns were built by David O. Saylor, the first American producer of portland cement. The nine kilns operated from 1892 to 1904 in Lehigh County, Pa. In September 2004, the county announced plans to demolish five of them. Cement from these kilns helped build famous architectural attractions, including the Lincoln Memorial. Preservation Society president Lou Jany, Essroc Cement, says the group received a reprieve from the county while it raises money to restore and preserve all nine kilns. Jany hopes to raise $500,000 in grants and donations. With Essroc's backing, the group is developing a Web site (www.saylorcementkilns.org) to coordinate fundraising and accept donations. Contact Lou Jany at Essroc Cement (610.837.3371 or Lou.Jany@essroc.com)

Professors' Seminars Scheduled for August PCA will continue to host the annual Structural Professors' Seminar at its Skokie, Ill, offices. The seminars assist engineering professors in teaching structural concrete design at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Engineering and Economics of Concrete Buildings is scheduled for August 1-3, 2005. Design of Concrete Bridges is scheduled for August 4-5, 2005. Regional groups select and sponsor individual professors; attendance is limited. The professors' seminars are jointly sponsored and presented by PCA, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, the Post-Tensioning Institute, and the Tilt-Up Concrete Association. More on the buildings seminar More on the bridges seminar Contact Basile Rabbat

Construction Begins on 2006 New American Home For the second consecutive year, PCA and the Florida Concrete & Products Association (FCPA) are teaming up to sponsor The New American Home (TNAH), the official Show Home of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). TNAH 2006 is located in the Lake Burden South development of Orlando, Fla., and will offer spectacular waterfront views from nearly every room. Builder Hannigan Homes, Inc., and architectural firm WCI Communities plan to include a number of green building features into the house design, including two-story insulated concrete masonry walls. A number of other concrete products are expected to be incorporated into the design including decorative stained and stamped concrete flatwork, concrete roof tiles, portland cement stucco, and fiber-cement siding. Other green elements of the home will include high-efficiency doors and windows, tankless hot water heaters, rainwater harvesting, and water efficient landscape design. The 6,500 square foot home will be on display during the 2006 International Builders Show, January 11-14, 2006. For more information and periodic updates, visit www.tnah.com Contact Jim Niehoff

Monitor Examines Final 2004 Housing Numbers The latest issue of The Monitor takes a look at year-end housing numbers alongside cement data through October 2004. For the final quarter of 2004, total housing starts declined from 2003’s fourth quarter by 3.7 percent, the first quarterly decrease in nearly three and a half years. Fourth quarter existing home sales rose 8.5 percent in 2004. Other key statistics from The Monitor: Portland cement tonnage levels in October declined 8.8 percent from 2003 levels. Year-to-date consumption remained strong, running at a 6.1 percent pace over 2003 Masonry cement consumption declined 7.2 percent in October, but was up 8.8 percent for the year. Cement and clinker imports continued high tonnage gains, up 18.6 percent in October, a third consecutive month of double-digit gains. Contact Ed Sullivan

NYC Schools Counting on Concrete The NYC School Construction Authority’s (SCA) annual program includes plans for building approximately 15 new schools with a total floor area of 2 million square feet. With the recent success of PS 499 (see January 7, 2005, Executive Report), the SCA is considering concrete for its schools, which have traditionally been built with steel. SCA invited PCA's Mike Mota and the NYC Concrete Promotional Council to present the advantages of concrete for schools on February 7. As a result of this meeting, PCA will prepare feasibility studies for upcoming schools including Staten Island’s proposed PS 44. Each concrete-framed school is anticipated to consume as much as 4,000 tons of cement with the potential for up to 60,000 tons annually. Contact Mike Mota

Bridge Council Meets with Feds Engineers and scientists at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) met with members of the National Concrete Bridge Council earlier this month at the Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Center in McLean, Va. The group explored opportunities for cooperative design seminars and conferences and discussed pending legislation such as the reauthorization of TEA-21 which includes Senate and the House proposals of $36 million and $12 million, respectively, for high-performance concrete bridges. Contact Shri Bhidé

CEMEX Highlights Conservation Hotspots CEMEX, in collaboration with Conservation International, Agrupacion Sierra Madre, and the University of Virginia, announced the launch of Hotspots Revisited on February 2 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Hotspots Revisited is the 12th edition of CEMEX’s conservation book series and highlights 34 “hotspots”—regions home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife. Hotspots Revisited illustrates approaches to protect the world’s biodiversity and works to promote a culture of environmental awareness within our communities and our society at large,” said Armando Garcia, CEMEX’s executive vice president of development. Since 1992, CEMEX has acquired 200,000 acres of Madres del Carmen in Mexico, an area where it is reintroducing three species into the wild.



House TEA-21 Reauthorization Bill Introduced On February 9, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-AK), Ranking Democrat James Oberstar (D-MN), and Highway Subcommittee Chairman Tom Petri (R-WI) and Ranking Democrat Peter DeFazio (D-OR), re-introduced a revised version of their surface transportation reauthorization bill from last Congress. The bill, H.R. 3, holds the same title as last year, the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” (TEA-LU). The new bill provides $284 billion in guaranteed funding for FYs 2004-2009 for highway, transit, and safety programs. Given that FY 2004 is complete, the bill provides an obligation level of $241.7 billion for the remaining five years. The Committee’s $284 billion funding plan mirrors the level proposed by the President’s FY 2006 budget released on Monday. (See related story.) Chairman Young said that he wanted the bill to clear the Committee on March 2, although that date may slip. Majority leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) recently expressed a desire to complete floor action on the bill by March 18. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK) is expected to move forward with a bill shortly. View the House Bill Contact David Hubbard

Administration’s Budget Raises Highway Funding, Cuts Other Infrastructure Programs On Monday the Administration submitted its FY 2006 budget request to Congress, which calls for $284 billion in guaranteed funding for highway, transit, and safety programs over six years. The proposal represents a dramatic change from the $256 billion level touted by the Administration last year. The $284 billion guaranteed level reflects the amount contained in the last House proposal from the conference committee on the TEA-21 reauthorization legislation last summer. Under the budget plan, the highway program would receive small incremental increases each year through FY 2008, then a $6 billion jump in FY 2009, the final year of the authorization. Although federal transit funding would receive a two-percent increase in FY 2006, other transportation programs did not fare as well in the budget request, including a $500 million cut in airport construction grants and zeroing-out Amtrak despite aging infrastructure. The budget axe also fell heavy on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and EPA water infrastructure construction programs, down 20 percent and 18 percent, respectively. The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program was reduced by 12 percent, while Superfund cleanup increased two percent. The Administration’s budget provided a 21 percent increase for military family housing; however, General Services Administration (GSA) construction and prison construction would decline 10 percent. Contact David Hubbard

Administration’s Budget Could Slash Mineral Reporting at USGS—Including Cement The President's proposed FY 2006 budget proposes a $29 million (54%) reduction from the FY 2005 funding level of $54 million for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Minerals Resource Program. According to the USGS, this budget would terminate the following activities that are of interest to the cement industry: Approximately 20 mineral commodity reports, which could include the cement shipment report Research on aggregates and industry minerals Collection of nationwide basic geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral deposit data Data collection and analysis for 100 commodities in 180 countries The USGS would have to reduce its Mineral Resource Program by about 240 people, from nine locations throughout the country, including its Denver office. PCA staff has met with USGS to discuss which publications would be considered for elimination and what factors would be considered in making these decisions. USGS said it would consider usage rates, consulting with stakeholders (such as PCA), and balancing factors such as cost and workload. No decisions have been made yet. The need to drastically reduce the international minerals data collection will eliminate staffing and data availability that will affect decisions regarding publications. PCA is working with the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association on developing strategies to reinstate the minerals reporting funding portion of the USGS budget. PCA will be meeting with USGS and others in early March to discuss the budget impact and others issues of interest to the industry. Contact John Sullivan

Climate Change Legislation Introduced in Senate and House On Thursday, legislation was introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives that would require four sectors of the U.S. economy (electric utilities, transportation, industry, and commercial) to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) to 2000 levels by 2010. Any entity that emits more than 10,000 metric tons of GHGs per year would be required to submit to EPA one tradable allowance for each metric ton emitted during the reporting period. An entity may satisfy up to 15 percent of its emission allowance requirements by submitting allowances from another country’s GHG market. Entities not meeting emission limits would be subject to a fine of three times the market value for each ton over the emission limit. In an attempt to gain industry support for the legislation, the new bill provides for a trading program for GHG emissions in addition to setting caps on emissions of GHGs. The Senate bill, S. 342, was introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and has 11 additional co-sponsors. An identical bill, H.R. 759, was introduced in the House by Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) and has 25 co-sponsors. During the last Congress, Senators McCain and Lieberman co-sponsored similar legislation that was defeated by a vote of 43-55. View Senator McCain’s statement on S. 342 View Senator Lieberman’s statement on S. 342 View a summary of the bill View the text of the legislation and co-sponsors Contact Mark Washko

Senate Committee Set to Mark Up Clear Skies Act On February 16, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will mark up the language in the Clear Skies Act proposed last month by Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and George Voinovich (R-OH). The key to getting Committee approval for the bill is whether or not Senator Inhofe can craft a compromise that addresses carbon dioxide emissions to some degree, although Senate Republicans will not support any carbon cap or other mandatory reduction measures. Contact Tom Carter

House Science Committee Approves $44 Billion for Energy R&D On Thursday, the House Committee on Science approved by voice vote comprehensive legislation on energy research and development. The bill, H.R. 610, authorizes $44 billion for research, development, and demonstration projects for FY 2006-2010. The bill is one of several that, taken together, will comprise the House of Representatives’ comprehensive energy bill for the 109th Congress. Three House Committees--Energy and Commerce, Resources, and Ways and Means--also are working on energy legislation. (See related story.) Of particular interest to the cement industry are provisions relating to energy-efficient buildings, including a grant program, energy efficiency and environmental performance of energy-intensive industries, and updating building energy codes. View a summary of the bill View the text of H.R. 610 Contact Mark J. Washko

House Holds Hearing on Energy Policy On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on national energy policy. The focus of the hearing was the conference report to H.R. 6, the comprehensive energy legislation that was agreed to during the 108th Congress (passed by the House but not approved by the Senate). The Committee heard testimony from 16 witnesses representing the Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Energy Information Administration, National Governor’s Association, utilities and other organizations. Democrats on the Committee claimed that much has changed in the two years since the Committee last passed an energy bill and raised concerns that several issues included in the draft bill need to be reconsidered, including a cap on spending on electric reliability standards, other provisions in the electricity title including the repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act, and liability relief for MTBE, a gasoline additive. The House of Representatives, which originally planned to vote on a comprehensive energy bill next week, has backed away from that timetable and is not likely to take up energy legislation before April. View the draft bill and testimony from hearing Contact Mark Washko

PCA Testifies at OSHA Hex Chrome Hearing On Wednesday, Bruce Springer of Essroc Corporation, a member of PCA’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee, testified on behalf of PCA before a panel of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on hexavalent chromium. The hearing provided another opportunity for PCA to weigh in on the October OSHA proposal to reduce the permissible exposure limit for hexavalent chromium. Portland cement was excluded from the proposed construction standard, but not from the proposed general industry standard. PCA’s position is that cement should be excluded from the rule entirely. PCA's director of environment, health, and safety Tom Carter reiterated the industry position when quoted in "Chromium Rule Excludes Cement," an article in the February 7 Engineering News-Record. Read the ENR article. Contact Tom Carter

EU Commission Defers Post-Kyoto Negotiation The European Union Commission this week indicated that it will not push for discussions of climate change policies beyond the 2012 Kyoto Protocol timeframe. The move was a straightforward acknowledgement that there is no reason to do so until the U.S. and key developing nations (such as China and India) officially join the process. The environmental community, led by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, condemned the Commission’s decision and expressed concern that the EU—long considered the Kyoto catalyst—was caving in to pressure from the U.S. and others. Commission representatives argued that there was no real change in EU policy and that the announcement simply conveys the reality that there is no need for the EU to negotiate with itself on the matter. View a copy of the Commission report Contact Andy O’Hare



CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2005 March 15-19, 2005 Las Vegas, USA www.conexpoconagg.com	Professional Promoters' Workshop May 3-5, 2005 Skokie, Ill. Contact Karalin Derencius

PCA's education and training group will conduct the following courses at PCA's Skokie, Ill., facility. Customized and off-site courses are also available. For more information or to register, contact Julie Lisiecki
Regional Courses Click on course titles for more information or to register. Combustion and Pollutant Formation (Day 1) Vertical Roller Mills for Raw Meal Preparation (Day 2) February 24-25, 2005 in Midlothian, TX March 10-11, 2005 in St. Louis, MO
Skokie Courses Concrete: Principles and Practice October 10-13, 2005 Aggregates, Admixtures, and SCMs for Use in Concrete February 14-16, 2005 Microscopy of Clinker and Cement February 14-18, 2005 October 31-November 4, 2005	Cement and Concrete Overview March 7-8, 2005 Troubleshooting: Solutions to Concrete Field Problems March 9-11, 2005 November 14-16, 2005 Mill Grinding March 21-23, 2005 October 17-19, 2005 Kiln Process April 4-7, 2005 October 3-6, 2005

Portland Cement Association 5420 Old Orchard Road Skokie, Illinois 60077 847.966.6200 info@cement.org 1130 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Suite 1250 Washington, D.C. 20036 202.408.9494 fax 202.408.0877 ©2005 Portland Cement Association All rights reserved

02.11.05

Washington Weekly
Education

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The Portland Cement Association conducts market development, research, education, and government affairs work on behalf of its members—cement companies in the United States and Canada.