LANHAM, MD - The National Asphalt Pavement Association provided testimony to a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee to set the record straight about the environmental sustainability of asphalt pavements. NAPA's testimony sets out asphalt's remarkable record on recycling, low carbon footprint, safety enhancements, and fuel consumption reductions. In addition, the testimony counters a number of statements about asphalt which were provided to the subcommittee by the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA).

NAPA President Mike Acott commented, "There is no question that asphalt is the more environmentally sustainable pavement of the two. NAPA's policy in the past has been to strive for continuous improvement in all aspects of our product that affect the environment, and to publicize the benefits of asphalt, but not to denigrate the competing pavement type in front of Congress. However, the concrete industry made a number of statements about asphalt and put them into the hearing record. We had no choice but to respond with factual information."

Acott said, "NAPA interprets the intent of ACPA'S testimony as an effort to alter time-tested pavement type selection processes which are working well. It also seeks to create federal guidelines based on ACPA's vision of what makes a pavement sustainable, and diminish the independence of state DOTs in pavement type selection."

The hearing was before the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, which is part of the Committee on Science and Technology. Neither the subcommittee nor the committee has oversight over highway funding, although they will have jurisdiction over sections of the highway bill governing research.

"NAPA determined that to stay silent in the face of ACPA's attack might ultimately have proved detrimental to the asphalt industry," continued Acott. "In addition, NAPA opposes any attempt to federalize decisions about what pavement type to choose.