U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Focus
Accelerating Infrastructure Innovations |
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-08-012
Date: April 2008
Building more environmentally sustainable highways is the goal of the new Environmental Stewardship Team launched by FHWA's pavement and materials program in 2007. One of six Focus Area Leadership and Coordination (FALCON) teams created to meet the strategic objectives of the pavement and materials program (see August 2007 Focus), the Environmental Stewardship Team's members represent offices throughout FHWA, including Headquarters, the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, FHWA Resource Center, division offices, and Federal Lands Highway division. The team also includes a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The team's mission is to provide for a sustainable national highway infrastructure by promoting the cost-effective implementation of pavement and material practices, activities, and technologies. Objectives include advancing the use of recycled materials and technologies related to recycling, such as in-place recycling, and environmental innovations. The team's objectives also include ensuring that the transportation industry's workforce is well trained in the proper methods of using recycled materials and technology and able to effectively choose environmentally sound paving and materials practices.
Current team activities include working to expand the use of warm-mix asphalt and recycled asphalt pavement across the country. Another team initiative is to gather information from States on their current use of recycled materials in highway applications. The team is also partnering with the EPA in supporting the Green Highways Partnership (see article).
For more information about the Environmental Stewardship Team, contact Jason Harrington in FHWA's Office of Pavement Technology, 202-366-1576 (email: jason.harrington@fhwa.dot.gov), or Steve Mueller at the FHWA Resource Center, 720-963-3213 (email: steve.mueller@fhwa.dot.gov).