US cement industry ready to support infrastructure plan

But in an opinion piece for The Hill, Toscas called on Congress and the Trump Administration to support cement manufacturers through a “more effective policy environment”.

“Cement manufacturers look to Congress and the new administration to provide sensible regulatory reform,” Toscas wrote. “Generally, regulations should be designed to provide more flexibility and less burden on manufacturers, while still achieving important safety and environmental goals.”

Increasing spending on US infrastructure was a key pledge in President Trump’s election campaign and his infrastructure plan would spend US$1 trillion over the next decade upgrading the country’s aging roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, ports and waterways.

Toscas also pointed to oil and gas pipeline development and new coastal infrastructure as areas the US cement sector believe should be priorities.

“We need to expand oil, gas and other pipeline development to supply low-cost domestic energy, boost the economy and provide jobs, while conserving natural resources. We also need to invest in new coastal infrastructure to protect against natural disasters.”

Toscas also offered the PCA’s support of moves to modernise the agencies responsible for enforcing health and safety regulation, as well as calling for a market-based approach to regulating emissions and supporting new and cleaner technologies.

Responsibility for enforcing environmental regulation should also be returned to the states, as they are “closest to the environmental conditions and operations of the facilities within their jurisdictions.”

The PCA represents 93% of US cement manufacturing capacity, including 90 cement plants in 32 states and distribution facilities in every state in the continental US.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/09022017/us-cement-industry-ready-to-support-infrastructure-plan/