People everywhere are taking the environment seriously. Voters continue to support policies and public services that help them conserve natural resources and reduce waste. More and more households are recycling newspapers, bottles, and cans. While Americans are accustomed to thinking about recycling these items, the most widely recycled product in terms of both percentage and tonnage is actually asphalt pavement!

Asphalt pavements, including roads, streets, parking lots, and airport runways, have always made the most sense for a sound, efficient infrastructure. They are affordable, easy to maintain, highly durable and they're 100 percent recyclable! Even before recycling became fashionable in our environmentally conscious society, the asphalt industry was recycling asphalt pavements into brand new ones. And quality does not suffer. In fact, a recycled asphalt pavement is of just as good quality, if not better, than a brand new one.

Asphalt pavement recycling has many benefits: recycling a pavement can be more cost effective than building a new one, costs of disposing of old pavement are saved, and cities avoid filling scarce landfill space with materials that could have been reused. In 1994 alone, cities, states and counties that recycled asphalt pavements saved their taxpayers over $300 million. Click here for [How Much is Recycled?] chart.

Asphalt Plant/Sites – There Are Diamonds Among Us!

NAPA’s Diamond Achievement Commendation for Excellence in Hot Mix Asphalt Plant/Site Operations is given to Hot Mix Asphalt facilities that exemplify the spirit of quality and excellence in all aspects of their operations. They strive to be integral, valuable, and respected neighbors within their communities.

The process is a self-assessment of six separate categories of plant/site operations. Companies are rated in appearance, operations, environmental, safety, permitting and compliance, and community relations.

For more information on the Diamond Achievement Program, please e-mail the Diamond coordinator.

Asphalt for Environmental Liners

Asphalt was used for water-proofing long before it was used for load bearing. Today, asphalt is used as a material for storing and processing all kinds of materials because it offers both essential properties: water-proofing and load-bearing.

HMA liners take on the toughest jobs such as:

• keeping sanitary landfills sanitary;
• storing toxic materials and preventing their escape into the surrounding environment;
• making it possible to treat and even recycle liquid and solid wastes; and
• keeping water clean.

No other environmental/hydraulic lining material even comes close. And here are a few reasons:

• Liquids don't penetrate asphalt;
• Asphalt pavement is puncture-proof;
• HMA liners will outlast anything they contain;
• Asphalt conforms to irregular surfaces;
• HMA's load-bearing properties make asphalt easy to clean;
• Asphalt won't join forces with waste materials; and
• Being inert, asphalt doesn't taint drinking water.

For more details about these properties and benefits, read Asphalt for Environmental Liners. [Click Here]

EPA De-lists HMA industry from New Hazardous Air Pollutant Standards

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently made a decision to remove Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) plants from its list of industries considered major sources of hazardous air pollutants.

"The asphalt pavement industry prides itself on maintaining positive, responsible relationships with communities and neighbors. Having the EPA declare that no HMA facility has the potential to be a major source of hazardous air pollution confirms what we have always believed, and what the science shows – that emissions from HMA plants are very low and well-controlled," commented Dave Carlson, 2002 Chairman of NAPA.

For a complete copy of the de-listing news release, [click here].

NORA Partnership Award for Worker Health and Safety

NIOSH awarded the first NORA Partnership Award for Worker Health and Safety at the 1999 NORA (National Occupational Research Agenda) Symposium. The award recognizes outstanding NORA partnership activities that lead to improved worker health and safety. The 1999 winner was the Asphalt Partnership, consisting of NAPA, NIOSH, FHWA, OSHA, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America, and the Laborers' International Union of North America.

To view more details, [click here].

Safety Is the Asphalt Industry's First Priority

In the early 1990’s, NAPA’s Environmental, Safety, and Plant Operations Committee (ESPOC) decided to create a series of tip sheets that would provide workers at the plant with both safety and technical information. Members of the committee provide the ideas and write the articles. These tip sheets, called ESPOC Says, are sent monthly to NAPA Members and cover topics such as confined spaces, ways to tune a burner, and the safety issues surrounding asphalt cement tanks. Click here for a [sample] of an ESPOC Says.
 
In the year 2000, the committee decided that it was time to expand ESPOC Says to cover issues related to the paving environment as well. Paving tip sheets are produced between the months of April and September – the paving season. Topics include dealing with an asphalt burn, preparing for working in the sun and heat, and paving tips. They are perfect for use during training sessions or as paycheck stuffers.

The ESPOC Says Calendar is an offshoot of the tip sheets. Due to the success of the ESPOC Says program, the committee decided to compile the best issues of the year into a calendar.

A library of ESPOC Says, updated monthly with a new one, as well as the ESPOC Says Calendar are available free to NAPA Members in the members-only online library. For information about how to become a NAPA Member and enjoy access to ESPOC Says as well as take advantage of many more benefits, click here [Join NAPA].

Safety Publications and Videos

NAPA offers many publications and videos on both plant and workzone safety. Some are also offered in Spanish. Click here to view a listing of available [publications and videos].

For questions about NAPA's environment and safety programs and related information, please e-mail the environment and safety department.