SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Climate change poses a serious threat to the environment, our economy, and the well-being of communities in California and around the world.
(b) The United States manufacturing sector produces the materials that are critical to rebuilding and strengthening the nation’s infrastructure, but is responsible for nearly one-third of United States greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes.
(c) Despite California’s push for an all-electric vehicle fleet starting in 2035, cars will still have tires, and will still need to travel on roads.
Transportation infrastructure materials will continue to be a significant source of emissions productions, unless we embrace technologies in the marketplace to manufacture them in a more sustainable manner.
(d) Approximately 26,000,000 tons of hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement material are produced in the state annually. Typical asphalt mix production temperatures range from 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is accomplished by heating the liquid asphalt cement and aggregate using a fossil fuel, such as natural gas, to allow for appropriate mixing of the materials.
(e) Warm mix asphalt (WMA) is the generic term for a variety of technologies that allow producers of HMA to lower the production temperature at which the material is mixed and placed on the road. True WMA is that product which is manufactured at temperatures of 275 degrees and lower.
(f) The use of true WMA provides multiple benefits, including significant reductions in fossil fuel use and the emissions of greenhouse gases during the asphalt mixing and production process; reductions or elimination of smoke, odors, and other byproduct pollutant gases and particulates; and optimized compaction at reduced temperatures and the extension of road life, leading to further greenhouse gas emission reductions and significant cost savings for the state related to increased long-term performance and the potential to increase recycling uptake. Benefits improve as production temperatures decrease.
(g) The University of California Pavement Research Center has studied true WMA pavement extensively. The center found that the use of true WMA has clear benefits when compared to HMA, including the benefits identified above, and improved workability, better conditions for workers,
and better performance on projects with long hauls or where mixes are placed under cool conditions.