Backup_7. 2024-11 Support Letter for Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program Grant COA — original pdf

Backup

November X, 2024 Federal Highway Administration – Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program Dear Federal Highway Administration, We are pleased to send this Letter of Commitment in support of the City of Austin’s application to the Federal Highway Administration’s Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program (LCTM) to seek reimbursement funds for eligible costs associated with activities required to develop and implement a city-wide Low Carbon Transportation Materials Procurement Program. This application supports Austin City Council Resolution No. 20230420-024, which directs the City Manager to create a plan and implement a schedule to transition the City to sustainable low-embodied carbon concrete. It also supports the Council adopted Austin Climate Equity Plan, which established a net-zero community wide greenhouse gas emission goal by 2040, and a goal of reducing embodied carbon footprint of materials used in local construction by 40% by 2030. The City of Austin’s LCTM grant application is a multi-departmental effort with stakeholders from Transportation and Public Works (TPW), Office of Sustainability (OOS), Capital Delivery Services (CDS), and Financial Services Division (FSD). The city-wide Low Carbon Transportation Materials Procurement Program will include processes for: - Collecting and verifying Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) from Texas concrete, cement, and asphalt suppliers - Developing a central database to store EPDs - Using collected EPDs and working with industry to establish a regional benchmark to determine reasonable greenhouse gas emissions thresholds for material procurement - Setting a timeline for reevaluating regional thresholds and for suppliers to resubmit EPDs - Establishing a central, city-wide transportation materials data collection system for both concrete and asphalt to track mix designs, material quantity use, and the carbon footprint related to construction material use - Establishing training for city-wide transportation materials data collection system for project - coordinators, in-house crews, and inspectors Implement performance-based concrete specifications in which concrete mixes are designed based on intended use/performance instead of prescriptive-based concrete specifications which are over designed in strength, and often involve excessive use of cement - Procuring and implementing the use of low carbon concrete, cement, and asphalt in the annual street and bridge maintenance program and in applicable capital delivery projects. We are committed to the project’s overarching mission, and supportive of all initiatives that further regional collaboration on climate. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,