From compactors to SmartGrade™ machines, Coastline Equipment delivers reliable John Deere gear built for paving precision. Get fast rentals, expert service, and parts support that keeps you on schedule — every job, every time.
Publisher’s Letter
Preparing for change gradually, then suddenly
I was a journalism major in college, and my first job upon graduation was at a small daily newspaper on the west side of Los Angeles, the now defunct Santa Monica Evening Outlook. Cub reporters like me were started off with basic writing tasks to earn their stripes. Think news about the local Rotary fundraiser, or helping out on the obituary desk.
If you showed some aptitude, you eventually worked your way into a general assignment reporter slot, the nomadic “jack of all trades” of the newsroom. Being a general assignment reporter was a good way to broaden your skills writing many different types of stories. One day you might be covering a criminal trial, and the next day a celebrity-studded movie premier. Then it’s off to interview neighbors where a grisly murder took place, or perhaps attending a City Council meeting. The variety was endless. If you were lucky, you snagged a big news story and were rewarded with a coveted byline on Page 1.
General assignment reporters are forced to be a quick study. Once they get an assignment they must conduct research—fast (this was before Google or ChatGPT), interview experts, and cobble together a story in a matter of hours that is fair, accurate and informative.
I bring this up because while working with the CalAPA Environmental Committee to develop this special issue of California Asphalt magazine I was channeling my inner-general assignment reporter. I had been following carbon capture only peripherally, figuring it was one of those far-off trends that wasn’t yet ready to compete for my limited time and attention. I’m sure many in the asphalt pavement industry feel the same way.
Still, as has been noted in this publication previously, CalAPA is oriented to look over the horizon to identify emerging trends, influence them at every opportunity, and educate the membership along the way. The idea is, when that far-off thing finally does arrive on the scene, we’re prepared. There are many examples of this (transportation funding and pavement specifications, to name just two). In the environmental space, we saw this phenomenon with the emergence more than a decade ago of Environmental Product Declarations. We flagged EPDs as something to watch, influenced evolving EPD policy, and kept members informed about significant developments. Today EPDs are rapidly entering the mainstream.
Decarbonization is following a similar trajectory. We put decarbonization on the cover of this magazine a year ago, but we deemed that a little-understood aspect of decarbonization, carbon capture and storage, merited a deeper dive. Our reporting confirms that most of carbon capture is still in its infancy, yet there is no question we’ll be hearing more about it in the years ahead. And to be sure, new applications and new technologies will continue to challenge our ability to understand them and see what they may mean for our industry.
Ernest Hemingway, himself a former newsman, introduced us in his novel “The Sun Also Rises” to Mike Campbell, a character who is asked how he went bankrupt. His succinct reply is one for the ages: “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” Our mission is to pay attention to the gradual, and to discern how it fits into the big picture. That way we’ll be ready for the sudden.
Sincerely,
Russell W. Snyder, CAE Executive Director, CalAPA
HERRMANN EQUIPMENT, INC., AND VANCE CORPORATION
Above: Vance Corporation’s new Roadtec SB3000 Shuttle Buggy in Colton paving for the County of San Bernardino.
Right: Vance Corporation puts its new BOMAG CR1030W rubber-tired paver to work on a street improvement project in Temecula.
Founded in 1982, Vance Corporation is a Beaumont-based paving contractor specializing in grind-and-overlay projects and municipal roadway improvements across Southern California. Since 2021, President Derek Ritarita and Vice President Robert Erautt have led the company alongside an experienced leadership team that includes General Superintendents Omar Amaya and Lee Martinez. Under their guidance, Vance Corporation has continued to deliver high-quality city and county roadwork.
Vance Corporation recently took delivery of two BOMAG CR1030W rubber-tired pavers and a Roadtec SB3000 shuttle buggy, purchased from Herrmann Equipment, and they’ve just ordered another shuttle buggy.
Vance team members can’t say enough about their new equipment and Herrmann Equipment. “The BOMAG CR1030W has really taken over where track pavers used to be the go-to,” said Lee Martinez, General Superintendent at Vance Corporation. “The maneuverability and all-around versatility make it a great machine for just about any paving job.”
Omar Amaya, General Superintendent, adds this about the Roadtec SB3000 shuttle buggy: “The SB3000’s triple-pitch auger keeps our mix perfectly uniform from start to finish, giving us the smooth, high-quality mats our clients expect.”
Both Robert Erautt and Derek Ritarita say it’s the service and product support provided by the Herrmann Equipment team that makes the difference. “Mike Allen and Rob Pickrell both came to the jobsite for the startup of each machine to make sure everything went smoothly — you just don’t see that happen very often,” said Derek Ritarita, President, Vance Corporation. Robert Erautt, Vice President, Vance Corporation, adds, “Their support has made a real difference, and that’s why we keep going back to them to add to our fleet.”
Vance Corporation and Herrmann Equipment — a partnership built for the long term.
SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • RENTAL
Publisher’s
Carbon Capture Making sense of an essential element of decarbonization
How the voluntary carbon market supports sustainable roads in California
Evaluating the feasibility of Carbon Capture at Hot Mix Asphalt plants
Q&A with Meredith Bauer
Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering & Compliance, San Francisco Bay Area Air District
Member spotlight: Century Paving
Over 50 Years of Excellence Powered by People
2025 CalAPA Board of Directors
Scott Metcalf (Chairman) Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions
Frank Costa (Vice Chair) Martin Marietta
Scott Bottomley (Treasurer) Sully-Miller / Blue Diamond Materials
Chris Gerber (Secretary) G3 Quality
Jeff Benedict (Immediate past chair) Valero Energy
Ron Criss Hat Creek Construction
Tim Denlay Knife River
On the Cover: Cover illustration by Aldo Myftari, Construction Marketing Services, LLC. The depiction of gaseous CO2 and a porous net is intentional, and meant to represent that much in the carbon-capture space is elusive and has yet to be “captured” by existing technology and practical considerations.
CALIFORNIA ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION www.calapa.net
HEADQUARTERS:
Chris Handley Tullis
Robert Jarvis Century Paving
Kevin Jeffers Albina
Kody King Mercer-Fraser
Pete Lambert McGuire & Hester
Jeremiah Lemons CRH
Phil Reader Reed Family Companies
Eric Richard Reed & Graham
Steve Ward Pavement Recycling Systems
P.O. Box 981300 • West Sacramento • CA 95798 (Mailing Address) 1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 120 • West Sacramento • CA 95691 • (916) 791-5044
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Russell W. Snyder, CAE, rsnyder@calapa.net
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Brandon M. Milar, P.E., bmilar@calapa.net
MEMBER SERVICES MANAGER: Sophie You, syou@calapa.net
MEMBER SERVICE COORDINATOR: Jackie Henry, jhenry@calapa.net
GUEST PUBLISHER: Russell W. Snyder, CAE, CalAPA
PUBLISHED BY: Construction Marketing Services, LLC • (909) 772-3121 P.O. Box 892977 • Temecula • CA 92589
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Aldo Myftari
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Russell W. Snyder, CAE, CalAPA, Scott Cohen, SESPE Consulting and Brian Hoover, CMS
ADVERTISING SALES: Kerry Hoover, CMS, (909) 772-3121
Copyright © 2025 – All Rights Reserved. No portion of this publication may be reused in any form without prior permission of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. California Asphalt is the official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. This bimonthly magazine distributes to members of the California Asphalt Pavement Association; contractors; construction material producers; Federal, State and Local Government Officials; and others interested in asphalt pavements in California and gaining exclusive insight about the issues, trends and people that are shaping the future of the industry.
Would you like to share a comment or provide feedback?
Please visit the link below or scan the QR Code. https://www.calapa.net/contact-us.html
CARBON CAPTURE
Making sense of an essential element of decarbonization
By Russell W. Snyder
“Think Globally, Act Locally.” It’s more than a slogan on a bumper sticker. It’s the approach the asphalt pavement industry takes every day as it relates to environmental issues. In recent years many of these initiatives have been lumped together under the heading of “climate stewardship” and a stated industry goal to achieve “net-zero” carbon emissions during asphalt production by 2050. This magazine placed decarbonization on its cover last year, with an emphasis on a joint Caltrans-industry initiative to look for ways to reduce carbon outputs in construction activities. The magazine coverage also detailed something called “The Road Forward – A Vision for Net Zero Carbon Emissions for the Asphalt Pavement Industry.” First unveiled in 2022 by the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), a CalAPA partner, the first goal of the plan is to “Achieve net zero carbon emissions during asphalt production and construction by 2050.” What does this mean? The plan anticipated the question, and attempted to answer it this way: “The industry will, on a net basis, not contribute any carbon emissions from its own operations (e.g., materials, equipment). Many countries, industries, and companies worldwide are pledging net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – a goal echoed by the asphalt pavement industry.”
The key part of that last sentence, “from its own operations,” is the major qualifier in that aspirational statement. The asphalt pavement industry recognizes that there are upstream, and downstream GHG impacts, and it is focusing on what it can control within the scope of its own operations. But later in the plan it notes the importance of working with stakeholders on those upstream and downstream impacts.
With the industry having set the goal, now what? Amlan Mukerjee, NAPA’s Senior Director of Sustainability and Intelligent Construction, sees the effort and building on that foundation.
“The question is, what is holding us back?” he said. “It is structural change. I don’t think we can make these structural changes happen without some sort of incentives.”
He noted that the rise of Environmental Product Declarations and EnergyStar energy efficiency upgrades are two prominent examples where innovation was helped along by incentives.
“Right now, the industry is focused on implementing what we have learned,” he said. “The major structural changes in innovation and materials are still ahead of us.”
That will be a major focus of “The Road Forward International Summit,” being organized by NAPA Sept. 9-Oct. 1 in Chicago, billed as a way for the industry to explore innovative solutions and best
Amlan Mukerjee
Senior Director of Sustainability & Intelligent Construction, National Asphalt Pavement Association
practices for reducing the carbon footprint associated with asphalt pavements.
Indeed, raising awareness of the complex issue is a slow and painstaking process says Abbey Bryduck, executive director of the Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association. She’s also chair of the Environmental Committee I don’t think we can make these structural changes happen without some sort of incentives.”
of the State Asphalt Pavement Associations, Inc. (SAPA), a federation of state asphalt associations, including CalAPA, that held its annual meeting in August in Monterey.
“This concept is still under the radar for most in our industry,” she said. However, more and more companies are starting to pay attention, and look for business opportunities.
“Contractors in our industry are slowly becoming aware of the benefits of pursuing these activities,” she said. “It’s financial.”
The focus on emissions is nothing new for the asphalt pavement industry in California. Every asphalt plant operating in California, for example, must have a permit to operate by the local air district, which contains strict limits on emissions and other requirements. But the hyper-granular focus on Carbon Dioxide (CO2), is relatively new for the asphalt industry and can be difficult to contextualize. CO2, after all, is in great abundance and naturally occurring on this planet. In fact, you are exhaling CO2 as you read this article. But the modern carboncentric thinking requires making the connection between emissions at a plant or a paving operation, to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and how climate scientists say those emissions are contributing to a steady warming of the planet and severe weather events. Like we said, think globally, act locally.
Public agencies at the state and local level have been looking for ways to weave climate policy into local public works policy, and one of the first steps was to attempt to quantify the environmental impacts of various products they consume for public benefit, including construction materials. This led to the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), detailed reports that draw upon known data (such as energy consumption, transportation) to give a numerical
value to a specific product. Relatively unknown a decade ago, EPDs have steadily grown in prominence as the asphalt industry developed its own EPD tool (the NAPA Emerald EcoLabel) and conducted research on the EPD inputs, Product Category Rules (PCRs) (see the 2023 issue of California Asphalt magazine, “The ABCs of EPDs”). Agencies that have incentivized the production of EPDs have helped ease the transition to their acceptance. Still, as almost anyone with experience working in the EPD space will tell you, EPDs (and PCRs) today are still evolving, and as more are published (and PCRs continue to be refined), the numbers are very much in a state of flux.
The national asphalt pavement industry target announcement came at about the same time as a more accelerated zero-carbon target was adopted in California for all industries. That mandate was in the form of Assembly Bill 1279 (authored by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, 66th District), and a related bill, Senate Bill 905 (authored by state Sen. Anna Caballero, 14th District). AB1279 set the goal for California to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. But recognizing that carboncapture would need to be part of the solution, SB905 created a specific program within the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the “Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization and Storage Program.”
On its website, CARB notes that “Carbon removal and sequestration will be an essential tool to achieve carbon neutrality,” and rather ominously cites various assessments that show “there is no path to carbon neutrality without carbon removal and sequestration.”
As with all sustainability efforts, there is the intersection between what is aspirational and what is actually achievable. This was the conundrum noted last year by Scott Taylor, longtime co-chairman of the CalAPA Environmental Committee
Scott Taylor Owner, Taylor Environmental Services & Co-Chair, CalAPA Environmental Committee.
and owner of an environmental consultancy, Taylor Environmental Services.
“There are so many different efforts to decarbonize it can be an overwhelming patchwork of regulation,” Taylor told this magazine last year. “Some of these regulations involve efforts that are aspirational solutions which are still being developed, while at the same time strategic planning to determine an approach, and financing the solutions, needs to begin now. It can be hard to balance what decisions to make now and what should wait until there is more certainty. That is why participation in these early stages is important as each company is developing their approach.”
Contacted for this story, Taylor said his remarks last year still hold true today.
One of those efforts centers around carbon credits, which has gained a foothold in Europe but is still a relatively new concept in the United States. Some early-adopter contractors have seized on carbon credits as a business opportunity (see sidebar).
In the carbon capture space, which also is still in its infancy, figuring out the how and where is daunting. At the most basic level, Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS) technologies involve preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere through some sort of engineered means, sequestering it, and placing it somewhere that it will be safe from later release, Some of these regulations involve efforts that are aspirational solutions which are still being developed.”
usually underground, for an extended period, say 100 years. Underground storage is one way that has drawn interest, but capturing, transporting and storing carbon at scale is capital intensive. Putting anything in the ground in California also triggers a host of environmental scrutiny, including a very California variable: seismic activity.
The petroleum industry, enticed partly by so-called 45Q federal tax incentives, has done some preliminary planning on systems to capture carbon at refineries, transport it and store it. One prominent example is a consortium of oil companies in Canada, known as the Pathways Alliance, which is promoting the concept at a massive scale. The Alliance website states that its mission is to develop a “carbon capture and storage network and pipeline that, when operational, would have the capacity to transport captured CO2 from multiple oil sands facilities to a hub in the Cold Lake area of Alberta (Canada) for permanent underground storage.” Tempering expectations, the Alliance website notes: “The project proceeding is contingent upon obtaining sufficient fiscal and policy supports and regulatory approval.”
Other initiatives have also been slow out of the gate, or have encountered false starts, or even controversy. CARB, for example, which created a whole program devoted to carbon capture in response to state legislation, faced pushback on the program from its own Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. A draft resolution presented to CARB stated, “the adoption of Engineered Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) strategies is counterproductive to meaningful climate action and CCUS investments increase reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure, hindering the transition to truly zero-emission energy sources.”
Interestingly, the federal tax credits for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), which have been around in one form or another since 2007, were amplified in the Biden Administration’s signature infrastructure law, but also preserved in this year’s Trump administration “Big Beautiful Bill.” They are often called 45Q credits, which refers to the Internal Revenue Code section. They are intended to incentivize investment in CCS.
To date, most of the attention on 45Q credits have been in the petroleum industry. There have been no 45Q projects in the asphalt industry. That may be partly due to the very nature of asphalt pavements, which in a way is its own form of sequestering petroleum. In other words, unlike fuel destined to power an internalcombustion engine, which will result in tailpipe emissions, liquid asphalt binder destined for paving asphalt won’t be burned but rather is “stored” in perpetuity on a roadway, airfield or parking lot. Even at end of life, asphalt can be recycled into new paving asphalt, over and over, keeping it out of the atmosphere.
For now, the asphalt pavement industry is focused on the “low-hanging fruit” of emission reduction that is already wellknown to the industry and has been part of CalAPA training classes and conference presentations for years: optimizing plant operations, particularly in areas where energy consumption comes into play. Other initiatives are the use of warm mix asphalt technologies, additional use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAP) and various environmental controls. In the construction phase, vehicles continue to get more fuel efficient, and new zero-emission equipment is starting to come on the scene. It also has been noted, including in an important NAPA report on carbon footprint released last year, public agencies
While talking about energy transition, it is necessary to consider global energy poverty along with broader consideration of technical and economic challenges.”
Chaitanya “Chait” Bhat Head of Sustainability Engineering & Research, Asphalt Institute
can support designs that result in smoother pavements, which have major GHG benefits in the use stage. More durable designs, such as long-life (perpetual) asphalt pavements, also have been found to have major GHG benefits as calculated in an environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as well as a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). In an interview for this story, Chaitanya “Chait” Bhat, Head of Sustainability Engineering and Research for the Asphalt Institute, pointed to a recent study commissioned by the Asphalt Institute Foundation that highlights the massive costs for many of these initiatives in the context of the overall petroleum market, of which liquid asphalt is a very small subset. The Wood Mackenzie Consulting study released in January of 2025 analyzed global energy transition scenarios (out of which “Net-Zero” is the most ambitious scenario) and mapped these to petroleum asphalt supply. As noted in the outcomes of the study, petroleum asphalt supply remains abundant over the coming decades under the most pragmatic (still ambitious) “Base-Case” scenario. The study also highlighted the importance of timely pavement preservation and maintenance in order to achieve holistic decarbonization across the cradle to grave scope. The study highlighted the necessity to
Continued on page 12 ]
consider a broader scope (i.e., beyond the asphalt industry) in the context of topics such as “NetZero” because drawing narrow boundary just around our industry may decentralize emissions elsewhere and lead to unintended consequences. Future questions to be answered in the context would be “Does Net-Zero for an asphalt mixture producer/ contractor translate to Net-Zero for public agencies?”
“While talking about energy transition, it is necessary to consider global energy poverty along with broader consideration of technical and economic challenges. Consequential supply-demand considerations are a must if we want to truly move towards a sustainable society,” Bhat said.
Another potential avenue for carbon capture is the use of “bio-binders,” which have gained prominence in Europe, including by a CalAPA-member parent company, Colas, and in Australia. Developers of one bio-binder for Norway indicated in their EPD negative a GHG emissions number. However, current material specifications (including empirical laboratory tests) have been developed for petroleum asphalt binders. Hence, use of biobinders will need to accompanied by relevant developments in the material specification considering long-term pavement performance.
John Harvey, Director of the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC), says this early stage of carbon-capture technology development is characterized by some promising developments but also those that merit more scrutiny to verify that they stand up.
John
It’s a pretty complex topic, with a ton of questions.”
Harvey Director, University of California Pavement Research Center
something about Greenhouse Gas, should I do it? We can’t bankrupt ourselves doing this.”
“I think we are in the very early days of Lifecycle Assessment,” he added. “It’s like the wild West. People are making exaggerated claims. But I’m confident people will figure it out.
Meanwhile, events in the carbon space continue to unfold, and there continues to be plenty of debate in Washington and elsewhere about how carbon initiatives fit into the larger picture. For example, a provocative question recently posed in an article in The Wall Street Journal -- “Is carbon dioxide a pollutant?” – framed the debate as complex one that is still being litigated. The article notes that CO2 is considered an air pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act, backed by a 2007 Supreme Court ruling and a later U.S. EPA “endangerment” finding. While most climate and atmospheric scientists have been sounding the carbon alarm for years, the Trump administration maintains that CO2 isn’t a threat to public health.
future, public agencies, the largest consumers of asphalt, will be a big part of how we get there. Jackie Wong is the acting chief of Materials Engineering & Testing Services for the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans. The job comes with the additional title of “State Materials Engineer.” Wong noted the arious activities of the concrete industry in the carbon-capture space, which received a burst of publicity early on, while the asphalt industry response has been more measured.
From an agency perspective, she said, “In order for carbon capture to work, you’d need to build a massive infrastructure to capture it, use it, store it. It has to be a public-private partnership to do something on that scale. It will take a multipronged approach, regardless of the industry you are in.”
“It’s a pretty complex topic, with a ton of questions,” he said. “How good is it? How fast can you bring it on line? How much is it going to cost? Just because I can do
When Environmental Product Declarations first began to rise to prominence in the 2010s, the asphalt industry, for the most part, took a skeptical view and kept its focus on making asphalt, and ensuring adequate funding for infrastructure. The topic made its debut in this magazine in 2014 with an article that was titled, “Defining [ Continued from
Still, the scientific consensus is that since the Industrial Revolution CO2-goosed GHG is overwhelming the Earth’s ability to process it via oceans and plants, and scientists have linked that to a warming trend and severe weather events. Stanching this trend is the foundation behind the decarbonization movement in California, across the country and the globe. This trend may sound familiar.In any decarbonized
Other Caltrans officials interviewed for this article note that in most cases Caltrans is reacting to legislation or regulations in the carbon-capture arena, rather than leading them. The Caltrans decarbonization task force launched last year, for example, is currently on hiatus. The primary emphasis for the department, those interviewed said, remains project delivery, including schedule, budget and quality, with those same priorities receiving full-throated support from the construction industry. Under the budget-conscious Trump administration, activity at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and climate-related work at the Federal Highway Administration, has been sharply curtailed.
In order for carbon capture to work, you’d need to build a massive infrastructure to capture it, use it, store it. It has to be a public-private partnership to do something on that scale.”
Jackie Wong Acting Chief, Materials Engineering & Testing Services, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Environmental Impact: The What, How and Why of Environmental Product Declarations.” The lead paragraph went on to say: “What is the environmental impact of a pavement? This is a challenging question to answer, requiring an understanding and merging of a host of topics, including sustainability calculations and metrics, pavement engineering, construction practices, and more.” Later in the article it notes, “Currently, no PCR (Product Category Rule) or EPD program has been developed for the U.S. asphalt paving industry.”
That situation, of course, eventually changed. Pressure on the industry to respond to climaterelated issues led NAPA to develop the Emerald Eco-Label software for asphalt plants to generate and publish EPDs, which was chronicled in follow-up articles in this magazine in 2017, 2020, 2022 and 2023. Along the way, some agencies began requiring EPDs, and legislation emerged in the Legislature in Sacramento aimed at pushing EPDs ahead. CalAPA followed all of these developments, and worked on educating members along the way. Early concerns continue to be around today, including the worry about the accuracy of upstream data (informing the Product Category Rules), which provide critical inputs to EPDs, and how
the data may be used by project owners. Nevertheless, it is clear that EPDs are becoming mainstream. NAPA estimates about 15% of asphalt plants are publishing EPDs, and the number is steadily growing.
As with the early days of EPDs, and then de-carbonization, the concept of Carbon Capture and Sequestration is another topic that is in its infancy, with plenty of confusion and an intense learning curve. What carbon capture ultimately will mean for the asphalt industry remains unclear, but with continued pressure to be sustainable and address ambitious Greenhouse Gas reduction targets, it is apparent that carbon capture, in some form, is also here to stay.
Meanwhile, the “Think Globally, Act Locally” drumbeat continues. On Aug. 22, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is widely considered to harbor presidential ambitions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ambassador of Denmark to the United States pledging cooperation on climate initiatives. The MOU notes that “Denmark and California each have an ambition of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045 and a portfolio of climate actions to meet such targets, including decarbonization across industry sectors.”
The nonbinding MOU may have lacked substance and was contrived for the cameras, but the intent was clear: to send the message that the decarbonization movement is not going away, and 2045 will be here before we know it. To put it in some perspective, it’s already been five years since the first COVID-19 outbreaks, and 24 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, both events that upended the global order. California’s net-zero carbon goal, another disruptive event, is barely 20 years away. Will it be achieved? The answer won’t be found in global pronouncements and signing ceremonies, but rather in action (or inaction) across town or across the state. The trouble
is, none of that will fit neatly on a bumper sticker. But here’s a saying that will, which is popular with the self-assured Silicon Valley startup set: “Move fast and break things.” CA
Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA).
REFERENCE:
Barry, C. et al (2025) “Analyzing the Petroleum Asphalt Binder Supply Chain Under Energy Transition Scenarios.” Wood Mackenzie Consulting on Behalf of the Asphalt Institute Foundation.
Shacat, J., Willis, R. and Ciavola, B. (2024) “The Carbon Footprint of Asphalt Pavements: A Reference Document for Decarbonization.” National Asphalt Pavement Association SIP-109, March 2024.
Milar, B. and Snyder, R. (2024) “Caltrans, industry launch decarbonization initiative; part of an accelerated climate-focused trend in California, nationally.” California Asphalt, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, 2024 Environmental Issue. PP 8-13.
Snyder, R. (2023) “The ABCs of EPDs: Environmental Product Declarations Enter the Mainstream.” California Asphalt, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, 2023 Environmental Issue, P 8-13.
Niller, E. (2025) “Is CO2 Truly A Pollutant? We Break Down the Debate” The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 18, 2025. P A2.
Harvey, J., et al (2020) “Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Six Strategies for GHG Reduction in Caltrans Operations” (Technical Memorandum UCPRC-TM2019-02 for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), published September 2020. https://escholarship. org/uc/item/0mx245rd
Santero, N., Gadonniex, H. and Wong, S. (2014) “Defining Environmental Impact: The What, How and Why of Environmental Product Declarations.” California Asphalt, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, 2014 Environmental Issue, PP 12-14)
• Land Use and Environmental Planning / CEQA and NEPA Compliance
• Construction Materials, Industrial Minerals, and Metal Mining / SMARA Compliance
• Air Quality & Permitting Services
• Environmental Health and Safety and Regulatory Compliance and Permitting
• Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste Management
• Groundwater and Surface Water Studies and Permitting
• Geologic and Mineral Resource Assessment and Characterization
• Comprehensive Transactional Due Diligence Services
• Environmental Site Assessment and Investigation
• Industrial Hygiene / Support to Legal Counsel / Training
Trimble WorksOS
Jobsite progress monitoring software
Trimble® WorksOS software collects information straight from your machines, giving site supervisors and project managers real-time visibility into civil construction jobsite progress and project status. This insight e powers better decision-making and enables you to make proactive adjustments to stay on budget and on schedule.
Turn data into decisions
Trimble WorksOS uses data from Trimble machine control systems, drones and surveys to take the guesswork out of site planning and scheduling.
• Increase visibility into jobsite productivity with targets of an activity.
• View progressive volumes of material moved to understand and analyze productivity trends.
tracking progress to plan for each project in a single dashboard.
• Identify when progress falls behind schedule and adjust work targets to get back on track. resource utilization and optimize
Northern California
SITECH NorCal 833 Montague Ave. San Leandro, CA 94577
888-4-A-LASER
Central California
SITECH West 1174 W. National Dr #50 Sacramento, CA 95834
866-699-2200
951-300-0400
Southern California
1499 Palmyrita Ave. Riverside, CA 92507
How the voluntary carbon market supports sustainable roads in California
Special to California Asphalt magazine
Introduction
The pavement industry has a role to play in addressing climate change. One of the tools helping make that happen is the voluntary carbon market (VCM). This article explains how carbon credits work, how they differ from compliance markets, and how they can help innovative contractors fund more sustainable construction practices. While the example highlighted here is pavement-focused, there are other emerging applications in construction through low-carbon cement, sequestering aggregates, and other material innovations.
What is the Voluntary Carbon Market?
The voluntary carbon market allows companies to purchase carbon credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. These purchases are not required by law. Instead, they are driven by corporate sustainability goals, ESG targets, or customer expectations.
Each credit represents one metric ton of verified carbon dioxide reduced or avoided. Projects that meet recognized methodologies can have their impact verified and turned into tradable credits on the open market. [1] [2]
To qualify, a project must reduce emissions in a measurable and reportable way. Those reductions must be verified by a third party and issued through an approved carbon program such as Verra or the Climate Action Reserve. [3] [4]
Purpose and Benefits of the VCM
The VCM helps fund emissions reduction projects that might not otherwise move forward. Buyers support cleaner technologies, process improvements, or new materials that reduce carbon footprints. For contractors, carbon finance offers a pathway to recover some of the costs tied to implementing sustainable practices.
UCPRC Researcher
Heather Tom
undergraduate students from UC
Li
and
indirect tensile strength (ITS) specimens fabricated for the research associated with this project. The
was taken outside of the MCK Laboratory in Martinez on Sept. 12, 2023.
This includes what is often referred to as the green premium, the added cost or effort needed to adopt a cleaner option. While not every sustainable solution is more expensive, there are always barriers to entry, whether that’s investing in new equipment, training a workforce, navigating unfamiliar specifications, or developing new specification altogether. Carbon
(left) with two
Davis, Cody
(center)
Ramiro Marquez, inspect
photo
Photo courtesy of Mimi Le, MCK Services.
finance can help lower these hurdles while supporting broader climate goals. [2] [3]
VCM vs. Compliance Markets
Compliance markets, like California’s Cap-and-Trade Program or the EU Emissions Trading System, are regulated frameworks that require large emitters to reduce emissions or purchase allowances. The voluntary market operates outside these mandates.
Although participation in the VCM is optional, its standards are often just as rigorous. Most credits are issued by third-party registries using published protocols and require documented proof of impact. [4] [5]
EPDs, LCAs, and Material
Transparency
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and lifecycle assessments (LCAs) are two of the main tools used to measure and report the carbon footprint of construction materials. EPDs show the environmental profile of products like asphalt and concrete and are based on LCAs using data
from suppliers and manufacturing processes.
For now, there is no Product Category Rule (PCR) available for cold in-place recycling (CIR), which means EPDs cannot yet be generated for that process. However, the underlying LCA data can still be used to quantify emissions savings and support credit issuance. Both EPDs and LCAs are part of a broader shift toward transparency in construction materials. When those reductions are large enough and properly measured, they may qualify for carbon credits. [6] [7]
You Can’t Reduce What You Don’t Measure
Measurement is the foundation of any credible carbon reduction effort. Lifecycle tools and emission baselines help quantify the impact of different construction methods. To issue credits, project teams must compare their emissions to a recognized baseline and follow an approved methodology. This work requires collaboration between contractors, engineers, and carbon experts who understand both material processes and carbon accounting. [8] [9]
Project Spotlight: How the City of Martinez’s Pavement Project is Paving the Way to a Greener Future
Imagine transforming more than 50,000 square yards of aging pavement, not by tearing it up and hauling it away, but by recycling it directly on-site at what we call our Urban Quarry. That is exactly what happened in Martinez, California, during the City’s 2022–2023 Pavement Rehabilitation Project (City No. C0173-2) in partnership with MCK Services, Inc. Using Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR), also referred to as Partial Depth Recycling (PDR) in California, MCK crew members recycled nearly 7,800 tons of asphalt, 7,766 tons to be exact, in just 40 hours. The entire process was completed with one innovative cold recycling (CR) machine, the Wirtgen 380 CRi. This project was more than just an exercise in speed and efficiency. It marked a meaningful step toward reducing the environmental impact of road construction. By tapping into our Urban Quarry and recycling 3.5 inches of the existing asphalt concrete pavement using 2.5 percent foamed bitumen and
Above: A group of local and state engineers observe a live demonstration of a CIR construction job near the MCK Services yard in Martinez on Sept. 12, 2023.
Photos courtesy of Mimi Le, MCK Services.
Below: John Moffat, Dennis McElroy, Tyler Bodnar, and Mike Connanon (RSA) welcoming agencies to this event at the MCK Yard.
1% cement, the project avoided the release of 583 metric tonnes of CO2e emissions. This reduction is equal to 583 verified carbon credits and represents real progress in lowering one city’s carbon footprint. What truly sets this project apart is how it combines cutting-edge materials with a commitment to transparency. Even though formal Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are not required for Cold In-Place Recycling (or Partial Depth Recycling) due to the absence of a Product Category Rule (PCR) in our industry, our project team leveraged Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) data to carefully measure emissions reductions. After all, as the saying goes, you can’t reduce what you don’t measure! This level of precision enabled MCK to participate in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), recovering the green premium tied to these innovative recycling pavement technologies. This approach also highlighted the environmental value of combining CIR with a rubberized hot mix asphalt overlay as the surface layer.
Beyond its technical achievements, the project became a dynamic platform for collaboration and shared learning, bringing together both seasoned experts and curious newcomers. MCK Services hosted an on-site demonstration that drew stakeholders from across the state. Researchers from the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC), representatives from Caltrans, local contractors, and city officials from throughout the Bay Area gathered in one place to witness innovation in action. Their collective goal was clear: to document material performance and environmental impact, share practical insights, and drive the adoption of sustainable paving practices across the Bay Area. The knowledge gained from this handson experience holds the potential to shape smarter and greener projects not only throughout the
Curious how this innovative approach could reshape infrastructure in your own community? Or how transparent carbon accounting can open new pathways for sustainable development? The City of Martinez’s pavement project in partnership with MCK is a compelling example of how voluntary carbon markets and forward-thinking engineering can work together to build a cleaner future, one recycled road at a time. And the best part? The solution lies right beneath our feet, in the urban quarries already available on-site.
California’s Cap-and-Trade Program
Bay Area but across the entire Golden State, creating a powerful ripple effect of innovation and sustainability in California’s roadway construction.
Frank Farshidi, formerly with the City of San Jose, noted that agencies are often hesitant to adopt new technology because “change is never easy.” He shared his perspective on Cold In-Place Recycling, pointing out that “since 2012, over 400 lane miles of CIR have been completed in the City of San Jose.” Farshidi currently runs a Santa Clara-based materials testing lab, ABT Group.
John Moffat from MCK added, “Our goal is to educate all the cities in the area and demonstrate just how effective CIR is. There is a lot of science behind it, and being able to show them our lab, then visit the job site, talk with everyone, and present the full picture is something special you don’t get to experience often.”
While the California Cap-andTrade Program focuses on large industrial emitters and operates through a regulated allowance system, it doesn’t cover road construction practices like CIR. That’s where the voluntary carbon market fills the gap—rewarding emissions reductions in uncapped sectors through third-party verified credits. Though optional, voluntary programs require rigorous documentation and adherence to established protocols. This approach allows local agencies and contractors to quantify the climate benefits of recycling and reuse, even when formal EPD pathways are still under development. [10]
Next Steps for Contractors: Why This Matters, and What You Should Do
The time to prepare is now. Contractors who build internal knowledge and pilot carbonaccountable projects will be ahead of the curve—ready for the day when carbon performance is as important as pavement performance.
- Because leading now positions your firm as a trusted [ Continued on page 20 ]
Above: Dr. Stephanus Louw from UCPRC leading the CIR research team during the MCK Martinez Project at MCK Lab. He is a past recipient of a CalAPA scholarship.
Photo courtesy of Mimi Le, MCK Services.
innovator—not just a bidder, but a long-term partner in delivering climate-smart infrastructure.
- Because carbon credits offer a revenue stream that can improve your margins and justify early investment in green technologies.
- Because sustainability is no longer optional. It’s becoming embedded in procurement, permitting, and public perception.
Why You Should Care:
- Stay Informed on Protocols and Funding: Familiarize yourself with methodologies approved by registries like Verra [3], the Climate Action Reserve [4], or others, and stay alert for state and federal incentives aligned with low-carbon construction.
- Engage with Your Clients: Many public and private sector clients are actively looking for ways to meet ESG goals. If you can help them document and achieve those goals through quantifiable emissions reductions, it becomes a win-win.
- Document Everything: Project-l evel data—tonnage, haul distances, energy use, binder types—must be well documented to support verification. Using tools such as e-ticketing and digital inspection logs can improve data quality.
- Partner Early with Experts: Collaborate with carbon consultants, research institutions (like UCPRC or others), and material suppliers to ensure your project can be measured and verified properly.
- Explore Eligible Project Types: Projects involving cold in-place recycling (CIR), full-depth reclamation (FDR), warm mix
asphalt, and biogenic or alternative binders often present excellent carbon reduction potential.
- Learn the Basics of Carbon Accounting: Understand lifecycle assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), and how emissions baselines are set. These are foundational for verifying carbon savings and participating in crediting programs.
Here’s what contractors can do next:
The voluntary carbon market represents a significant opportunity for paving contractors—not just in California, but across the broader infrastructure sector. As public agencies increasingly prioritize sustainability, contractors that can document environmental performance will be better positioned to win competitive bids, recover added costs, and build long-term trust with clients. CA
About the Authors
This article was submitted by Ben Devine, PE., Chief Operating Officer of Global Emissionairy, which specializes in helping companies understand how to utilize carbon credits to reduce carbon emissions. The primary authors are Chandra Akisetty, Ph.D., P.E., with Global Emissionairy, and Mimi Le with MCK Services
REFERENCE:
1. "https://carboncredits.com/whatis-the-voluntary-carbon-market/," [Online].
2. "e.on," www.eon.com, [Online]. Available: https://www.eon.com/ en/innovation/future-of-energy/ energy-and-beyond/compliancevs-voluntary-carbon-marketsexplained.html
3. S. Gould, "IFAC," 1 December 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.ifac. org/knowledge-gateway/discussion/ understanding-voluntary-carbonmarkets?utm.
4. D. Broekhof, M. Gillenwater, T. Colbert-Sangree and . P. Cage, "Carbon Offset Guide," ghg management institute, 4 February 2025. [Online]. Available: https:// offsetguide.org/understandingcarbon-offsets/carbon-offsetprograms/mandatory-voluntaryoffset-markets/?utm
5. "Understanding compliance and voluntary carbon markets: A guide for sustainability leaders," CORE, 5 September 2024. [Online]. Available: https://coremarkets.co/insights/ understanding-compliance-andvoluntary-carbon-markets-a-guidefor-sustainability-leaders?utm.
6. H. Langley, "Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)," Ecochain, 4 March 2025. [Online]. Available: https:// ecochain.com/blog/environmentalproduct-declaration-epd-basics/.
7. A. Rempher, "Improving the Data and Disclosure of the Environmental Impact of Building Materials," RMI, 4 October 2023. [Online]. Available: https://rmi.org/improving-the-dataand-disclosure-of-the-environmentalimpact-of-building-materials
8. "RECYCLING ROADWAYS FOR CARBON EMISSION REDUCTIONS –GLOBAL EMISSIONAIRY – PROJECT CALIFORNIA USA," Global Emissionairy, Inc., [Online]. Available: https://www.globalemissionairy.com/ project/project-gr-california
9. "Cap-and-Trade Program," California Air Resources Board, [Online]. Available: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ our-work/programs/cap-and-tradeprogram
10. "EU Emissions Trading System," Europian Commission, [Online]. Available: https://climate.ec.europa. eu/eu-action/eu-emissions-tradingsystem-eu-ets_en.
11. "Recycling Roadways for Carbon Emission Reductions – Global Emissionairy – U.S. Project #1," Global Emissionairy, [Online]. Available: https://www. globalemissionairy.com/project/prscalifornia
Your Mobile Commercial Equipment A/C Specialists Serving
California & Arizona
At G3 Equipment AC Specialists, we provide expert AC repair services for commercial fleets. Our skilled technicians ensure your systems operate safely and efficiently— keeping your vehicles running smoothly and your drivers safe and comfortable.
RED DOT Roof Top
Air Central
Mobile AC Hoses
Expert Support and Service
Evaluating the feasibility of Carbon Capture at Hot Mix Asphalt plants
By Scott Cohen
As the asphalt industry faces increasing pressure to decarbonize, carbon capture technology (CCT) is emerging as a potential tool for mitigating CO2 emissions from hot mix asphalt (HMA) production. This article discusses the feasibility of implementing post-combustion carbon capture systems at HMA facilities, with a focus on retrofit potential, emissions profiles, and integration challenges.
Emissions Landscape of HMA Production
HMA plants are characterized by high-temperature combustion processes that emit significant volumes of CO2, NOx, SOx, and VOCs. The primary emission sources include:
• Aggregate dryers and drum mixers: Combustion of natural gas, diesel, or recycled fuel oils.
• Asphalt binder heating: VOCs and blue smoke emissions during silo and truck load-out.
• Auxiliary equipment: Generators, heaters, and conveyors contribute additional GHGs.
According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), mix production accounts for a substantial portion of cradle-to-gate emissions, with drum mixers being the largest contributors.1
Carbon Capture Technologies: Applicability
Among the available CCT options, post-combustion capture is the most viable for HMA plants due to its retrofit compatibility and modular scalability.2
Post-combustion
Pre-combustion
Oxy-fuel combustion
Solvent-based or membrane systems that extract CO2 from flue gas
Fuel gasification and CO2 separation prior to combustion
Burns fuel in pure oxygen for a CO2 -rich exhaust stream
Retrofit-friendly
Requires full redesign
High CAPEX, complex integration
Solvent-based systems (e.g., amine scrubbing) are mature and commercially available, but require flue gas conditioning to handle particulates and VOCs typical of asphalt operations.3
Cost Breakdown of Carbon Capture for HMA Plants
While costs vary by site and technology, here’s list of cost related issues to consider before implementing post-combustion carbon capture at a mid-sized HMA plant:
Cost Category Notes
Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)
Operating & Maintenance (O&M)
Includes capture unit, compressors, and integration with existing stack
Covers solvent replacement, corrosion control, and labor 4
Energy Penalty Due to solvent regeneration and CO2 compression 5
CO2 Transport & Storage
Pipeline or truck transport to storage site 5
Capture Efficiency Depends on flue gas composition and system design 6
Incentives
Integration Challenges
U.S. federal tax credit for captured and stored CO2 7
Successful deployment requires addressing several plant-specific constraints:
• Flue gas composition: High dust loading and VOCs necessitate pre-treatment (e.g., baghouses, scrubbers).8
• Space limitations: Capture units and CO2 compressors require significant footprint and structural support.
• Process continuity: Retrofit must minimize downtime and avoid disrupting production schedules.
• Permitting: Emissions of solvents would require additional air quality and possibly land use entitlements.
Strategic Benefits
Beyond emissions reduction, carbon capture offers strategic advantages:
• Sustainability metrics: Enhances ESG reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Carbon utilization: Captured CO2 can be repurposed for concrete curing, synthetic aggregates, or chemical feedstocks.9
Industry Outlook
To date, there are no instances where CCT technology has been applied to HMA plants. Leading producers are exploring other approaches such as warm-mix technologies, alternative fuels, and electrification—to achieve incremental decarbonization.
Conclusion
Carbon capture is technically feasible for HMA plants, particularly via post-combustion systems. However, the relatively small scale of HMA plant dryer exhaust, lack of disposal options for carbon generated, and need for flue gas scrubbing mean that CCT is not practically feasible at this time. Future success in implementing CCT depends on site-specific engineering, economic incentives, and strategic alignment with broader sustainability goals. As regulatory and market pressures intensify, early adopters may gain a competitive edge by integrating CCT into their long-term emissions strategy. CA
Scott D. Cohen, P.E., C.I.H., is a Principal Engineer with CalAPA member SESPE Consulting – a Trinity Consultants Company and also co-chair of the CalAPA Environmental Committee.He can be reached at (619) 894-8670.
REFERENCES
1. https://sequestration.mit.edu/pdf/David_and_Herzog.pdf
2. https://globalccsinstitute.com/archive/hub/ publications/201688/global-ccs-cost-updatev4.pdf
3. https://www.iea.org/commentaries/is-carbon-capturetoo-expensive
4. https://energypost.eu/10-carbon-capture-methodscompared-costs-scalability-permanence-cleanness/
5. https://www.capturemap.no/carbon-capturetechnologies/
6. https://caritasuniversityjournals.org/index.php/cjceib/ article/view/165
7. https://www.asphaltpavement.org/uploads/documents/ Sustainability/SIP-106_GHG_Emissions_Inventory_ for_Asphalt_Mix_Production_in_the_US_–_NAPA_ June_2022.pdf
8. https://www.forconstructionpros.com/asphalt/ production/plants/article/22631183/technology-toimprove-asphalt-plant-emissions-and-efficiency
9. https://pavesmarter.com/sustainability-environmentalstewardship/air-quality-management-at-asphalt-plantscapture-technologies-permitting-and-communityrelations.html
JCB POTHOLE PRO
The award-winning JCB Pothole Pro is a unique 3 in 1 solution specifically designed to mechanize jobs previously done by pothole gangs and sort out repairs and large reinstatement operations. With 3 dedicated attachments to cut, crop and clean, there’s no need for additional specialist equipment or extra manpower, saving you both time and money. And with a typical pothole repaired in 8 minutes, the JCB Pothole Pro is up to four times quicker than traditional pothole repair methods, at half the cost of current solutions. All you need to do is add the tar.
Q&A with Meredith Bauer
Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering & Compliance, San Francisco Bay Area Air District
By Russell W. Snyder
Editor’s Note:
The San Francisco Bay Area Air District (formerly called the Bay Area Air Quality Management District) was created in 1955 by the California Legislature as the first regional air pollution control agency in the country. It is responsible for regulating stationary sources of air pollution in a nine-county area that surrounds San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara, as well as southwestern Solano and southern Sonoma counties. According to the Air District’s 2024 annual report, it oversees 10,332 permitted facilities. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties, with the number of board members proportionate to population. The Board oversees policies and adopts regulations for the control of air pollution in the district, and appoints the Air District’s Executive Officer/ Air Pollution Control Officer, currently Dr. Phillip Fine, who implements the policies and oversees staff. The current Air District budget is about $312 million. Dr. Meredith Bauer currently serves as the Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering and Compliance, reporting to the Executive Officer. She is the lead on an ambitious effort to reform the Air District’s air quality permitting processes to make the issuance of permits more timely and transparent. For many years CalAPA and its members have reported lengthy delays in securing
Meredith Bauer, Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering & Compliance, San Francisco Bay Area Air District.
permits from the Air District, and the association, in several forums, has urged the air district to take action to address the problem. Bauer has been the face of a multi-year project to clear a backlog in permits and streamline the permitting process. In addition to overseeing the engineering, compliance and enforcement operations of the Air District, Bauer also supervises the Health Risk Assessment/Risk Reduction program. She earned her doctoral degree in atmospheric science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in natural resources from Cornell University. Bauer says she left academia because it felt too removed from the environmental problems she was committed to addressing and she joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA’s) Office of Inspector
General as a program evaluator. The years spent with the Office of Inspector General focused on process improvements and good government – and these became foundational themes for all of her subsequent environmental work. After leaving the Office of Inspector General, Bauer joined the US EPA’s Region 9 Air Division (which includes California) as a member of the Air Monitoring Team. Within a year the two senior staff on the Air Monitoring Team left, leaving Bauer to build a new team from scratch. Within two years the Air Monitoring Team developed a national reputation for excellence. Bauer instituted processes and systems to facilitate effective communication, standardize routine work products for efficiency and consistency, and deliver high-quality work products on time. One of the primary functions of the Air Monitoring Team was to conduct oversight audits of state and local government ambient air monitoring programs. Bauer partnered with the US EPA Region 9’s Quality Assurance Office to conduct fair and transparent audits that focused on process improvement rather than, as she calls them, “gotchas.” As a testament to this approach, Bauer’s team audited the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Air Monitoring Program while under the leadership of Dr. Phillip Fine. This audit resulted in a long-lasting partnership between EPA Region 9 and the South Coast AQMD to elevate ambient air monitoring techniques at the South Coast
AQMD and nationally. Bauer went on to manage the Air Quality Analysis Office, overseeing monitoring, modeling, emissions inventories, and technical analyses. She served the last seven years of her time at US EPA as an Assistant Director, first running the Technology Partnership and Air Quality Analysis Branch, and then the Permits and Rules Branch. Bauer’s duties also included managing air quality improvements for one of the most challenging air basins in the country: the San Joaquin Valley. Under Bauer’s leadership the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District developed a comprehensive air quality plan with over 20 new or updated rules to reduce fine particulate matter. Since the time Bauer started working on San Joaquin Valley, fine particulate matter has decreased over 25% in the region on an annual basis and almost 40% on a daily basis. She says she left U.S. EPA with a reputation that if no one else could fix it, it landed on her desk. Bauer joined the Bay Area Air District in 2023. On her first day on the job she sat down with the Executive Officer, Dr. Phillip Fine, the very same person she had audited many years before in Southern California, and he told her that her top priority was to improve the permitting process. She recently sat down with California Asphalt magazine to discuss the status of the Air District’s engagement with the regulated community, including the asphalt industry, and what progress has been made by the Air District on its overhaul of its stationary source permitting system.
California Asphalt Magazine: Thanks for taking the time to do a bit of a “deep dive” into current Air District activities, particularly as they relate to permitting, something very important to our industry.
Meredith Bauer: I’m happy to speak with you.
CAM: Perhaps we should start with the current state of engagement between our industry and the Air District. This goes back decades, of course, but has ramped up in recent years. How do you see that from your perspective?
MB: I would characterize the relationship between the Air District and your industry as collaborative. I think we’ve worked together for many, many decades, on permits, on compliance – a variety of regulatory aspects that help your industry operate in ways that are protective of the health needs of the Bay Area. One of the things that I know our staff has found valuable is going on tours and trainings hosted by your industry.
CAM: One of those tours made the cover of this magazine a few years back. We received many favorable comments about it.
MB: I think that is a great way to establish a partnership between Air District staff and industry partners, but also our staff learn so much during those tours and trainings, and that helps them better understand industry they regulate.
CAM: We’re glad you mentioned that at that outset. Our association’s strategic plan places an emphasis on working collaboratively with project owners and regulators, and also on transparency and education. We live and work in the communities in which we serve, and what we do, fixing roads, contributes immensely to the local economy and quality of life. We also want to be engaged with those same project owners and regulators to help them understand our industry and participate in the development of standards and regulations, including environmental regulations, that are reasonable
Left to Right: Arsenio Mataka, Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs, Greg Nudd, Deputy Executive Officer of Science and Policy, Viet Tran, Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs, Dr. Philip M. Fine, Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, Alexander Crockett, General Counsel, Hyacinth Hinojosa, Deputy Executive Officer of Finance and Administration, Dr. Meredith Bauer, Deputy Executive Officer of Engineering and Compliance.
and realistic. That is why we have been proactive in hosting plant tours and other educational outreach with your agency, elected officials, members of the community and other stakeholders.
MB: Right. Our permit engineers, when they understand how operations occur, what equipment looks like, how things are set up, they can create permit conditions that are not only enforceable, because that is important to the public, but are clear to the applicant and the people who are running the equipment. That is much better than creating a vague permit condition that may not be understandable or applicable. So, having that more in-depth understanding about facilities and operations and technologies is very critical for us. It's also good to have that good working relationship that we have, and we have been invited to come in and take a look around, go on tours, and receive training. So that’s been really great.
CAM: Most of our emphasis on offering those tours is to help raise awareness about unique characteristics of an asphalt plant, which differs in many ways from the many other types of facilities the Air District regulates. We appreciate the Air District’s willingness to invest the time to understand those differences. Those can come into play when it comes time to get a new permit or to renew an existing permit. Those complexities are often related to delays in securing those permits.
MB: We recognize there are challenges around our permit process. Nonetheless, I do feel that the relationship has been collaborative. We get constructive feedback.
CAM: And sometimes not so constructive feedback (laughs).
Meredith Bauer addresses an “all hands” meeting of her staff recently at the Bay Area Air District.
MB: (Laughs). Yes, but that’s really important. It’s important for us to make improvements in the directions we want to make them, so I do really appreciate the collaboration and the partnership, even though this is a challenging time with regard to permitprocessing times. It is, first and foremost, how I would characterize the relationship.
I think it’s not always understood that the permitting process actually supports clean air. It is one of the foundations of clean air.
CAM: We appreciate you acknowledging that, and we understand that there was a leadership change at the Air District since we first started raising these issues in a formalized way back in 2014. As we testified at an Air District board meeting earlier this year, when our industry raised the issue of permitting delays, the Air District leadership did acknowledge them, but in our opinion not much noticeable action was taken to remedy the problem. That has changed in the past two years with new Air District leadership and a new commitment to developing and implementing a comprehensive action plan to address the systemic
problems underlying the delays, to strive for the permanent fix. There are a lot of moving parts, but you and your team have taken a methodical approach to assessing the problem, identifying the areas that need improvement, and bringing forward a plan to make improvements. How is that implementation going so far?
MB: Very big picture, one of the biggest challenges that we face is the Environmental Justice challenge, and ensuring that all the communities receive clean air, that is a big focus of our strategic plan. Where the rubber meets the road, often, for the Air District, is you have a rule, then you have a permit, and you have compliance. I think it’s not always understood that the permitting process actually supports clean air. It is one of the foundations of clean air. Related to the issuance of permits, two of the biggest challenges we see, from a big picture perspective, is timing. The permit timelines need to align with the projects that are needed to support the people and businesses in the Bay Area. A lot of those projects that your industry is doing, in the construction industry, like paving, supports people. They support them getting to work, getting to where they need to be.
CAM: Mobility. Everybody is on board with that.
MB: Right. And when the permits get delayed, the projects get delayed, and that impacts our residents. It also impacts our businesses, and for me that is a top-of-mind challenge – getting our permit process aligned with the needs to make these projects happen. That’s a big challenge.
CAM: A very big challenge.
MB: Right. And the second one I want to mention is transparency. [ Continued on page 30 ]
[ Continued from page 28 ]
There are communities that want to know what’s going on. This transparency aspect matters to them. So we want them to see what a permit looks like. Here’s how you understand a permit. Here are the permits that are in your neighborhood that are open for review. So that’s one aspect, helping communities become more comfortable with the permit process. It supports them, even if it is not obvious initially.
CAM: And the other part of that equation is the permit applicant.
MB: Yes. They often feel like their application goes in, and it goes into a black box.
CAM: Ah, the dreaded “black box.” We hear about that all the time.
MB: So do we. The applicants feel like it goes into a black box, and it comes out sometime later.
CAM: That opaqueness is part of what contributes to the frustration, we have heard from our members. They don’t know what is happening, and why it takes so long. That’s part of the challenge – to understand the process, what is happening out of our view. If there are unreasonable delays, to see if improvements can be made to the process.
MB: I know what is in the black box now, and I know all the very detailed, rigorous, important work that is going on, and we should daylight that. You should know all the important, detailed and rigorous work that is going on too, and you should know where in the process your permit is. You should know when it’s going to go to the next stage. So, creating dashboards and other tools for engagement that help our applicants understand the process, and where their specific permit is, is a very big priority of ours as well.
We’ve got very smart people, and they are very good at finding the problems, and I want them to feel empowered to solve those problems, and keep those permit applications moving.”
CAM: We recognize this is a massive process-improvement undertaking that involves technology, personnel, training and stakeholders.
MB: When you daylight things, make them more visible, it naturally brings about accountability. For our internal systems, it would help to have accountability, but also for our applicants. Sometimes things get stuck, and everybody is pointing the finger at the other person. When I look at those situations, I see that everybody has a role, and if we had put the spotlight on it, we would have cleared this up a long time ago. So that’s another aspect of it, really getting into the weeds, understanding where we got stuck. So, how do we have everybody contributing to keeping the permits moving?
CAM: It seems like communications is woven through all of these process improvements and challenges.
MB: We are exploring innovative tools. Just to share one, our updating of our permitting processing system, we call it the production system, we are doing massive upgrades to it, including having a lot more information about the e-mail that goes back and forth, the communications to the applicants. We want to have all of those embedded within that system. We’re also doing a pilot project now, having A.I. create very understandable summaries of permit histories. Our engineers are fantastic, but they don’t necessarily go to school to be writers, nor do I want them spending a whole lot of time coming up with the exact right language. I want them doing the
technical engineering reviews they are so very good at. So we’re looking at other tools, because there needs to be a bridge between that technical review and what our applicants want to know.
CAM: Any process improvement, at its core, involves people, and every organization has its own unique culture of how its people respond to change. How would you characterize the culture of the Air District, and how personnel are responding to all of these significant changes in how they do their work?
MB: For better or worse, we have a lot of new staff. There are some people who have been here for a long time, but it is now more weighted to the more junior staff who aren’t attached to the old systems the way somebody who has been here for a while would be. So that’s an opportunity. But having junior staff means they don’t have all the expertise that those who have been doing this for a while have. What I’m trying to do is build a new culture. It’s great to have those new folks. Next week we’re having a retreat, an all engineering division retreat, going over our strategic plan, and a big part of the strategic plan is accountability and customer service. We want to build a customer service culture. We also want to talk internally at the retreat, what does success look like for us? Does success mean timely permits? Or does it mean something else? We need to unpack that collectively to understand what we think success looks like, and how do we build the thing we want. There’s a whole lot
of upgrades the Air District doing on the technical side, but on that other side, we’re asking, How do we, as an engineering division in the Bay Area Air District, become a customer service-oriented entity that also sees timely and consistent and transparent permits as our goal? And how does that support the Bay Area, the public, everybody? It’s something we all need to get together and talk through and understand. What are the barriers? What are the fears? That’s not something you can do by just studying training online. So we’ll be doing a series of these types of events to figure out solutions, collectively. I can’t dictate it. We need to get there together.
CAM: We’re sure that Air District’s staff are also frustrated with permitting delays. Empowering staff to be part of the solution, which will remove friction from their everyday job, appears to be another opportunity.
Having an efficient permit process does not need to be in conflict with having clean air.
MB: Yes. For our new people, we are creating mentorships, and collaboration events so that they can rely on each other, and see each other, and ask each other questions. We don’t want them feeling like they are on their own, and it is a sink-or-swim situation. You are swimming, and there is everyone around you who can support you as well. I want them to be empowered to solve the problems. We’ve got very smart people, and they are very good at finding the problems, and I want them to feel empowered to solve those problems, and keep those permit applications moving.
CAM: We recently saw an example of your commitment to making staff part of the solution when you brought staff to an Air District Finance and Administration Committee meeting to let them hear first-hand from stakeholders, the public, and board members. That was a way to let them see the consequences of what they do. That was extraordinary.
MB: I directed them all to come in. I thought it would be really good for them to sit together, next to each other, and listen to all the important things that Director Leong is working on.
CAM: For our readers, you are referring to Pam Leong, the Director of Engineering for the Air District, another prominent champion of this reform effort who is doing a lot of the heavy lifting on implementation.
MB: Right. I wanted them to hear about all the work she has done. She is their leader, of that division. Their leader is looking out for them and trying to create a better
workplace for them, a better system, and I thought it was important for them to hear that, and for them to hear the concerns by the people who call in, the board members, who think about the whole Bay Area. They think about a thriving economy, roads that work, and all the other aspects of living than just the air. Staff never compromises about the air, but having an efficient permit process does not need to be in conflict with having clean air. And that was articulated by the chair, and I was really glad that she said that because that’s what we need them to hear and understand, and that' we’re all behind them. I think that they have felt beaten down because of the permitting backlog and the timeliness issue. When I walked out with them, I thanked them for coming and one of them said, “I thought we were coming in to get a lashing.” That was not the intent, and that’s not what happened.
CAM: So, at that committee meeting, you updated the board on your plan to overhaul the permitting process.
Bay Area Air District staff tour Valero Benicia Refinery in March 2024. Air District staff pictured left to right: Ranyee Chiang, Jerry Bovee, Kate Hoag, Meredith Bauer, Joseph Lapka, Ed Giacometti, Viet Tran, and Jeff Gove.
You completed an assessment, developed a list of actions, and are in various stages of implementing those fixes. Ostensibly it is a five-year plan, but there are some who would like the reforms to be implemented on a more aggressive timeline. Full disclosure, we are one of those voices.
MB: Perhaps I should first give a recap of how we got here. The permit backlog has been around about a decade, where it has been creeping up and up. And there are a couple of reasons for that, including rule changes that happened without commensurate staffing, and OEHHA (the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment) has changed some of the risk numbers that made it harder for us to permit some equipment, such as backup power engines. When Dr. Fine and I arrived at the Air District the backlog was there, The permit process was really in a challenging spot. And Dr. Fine, on day one said “Your top priority is to fix the permit process.”
CAM: Yikes!
MB: (Laughs). Yes, but it was really helpful to have that as the mandate, because living with it, and not having that kind of support, would have been even worse. So, within six months of my arrival, I delivered a comprehensive action plan to the Finance and Administration Committee to improve the permitting process. That was in April 2024. It was a five-year plan. It had almost 50 actions. There were specific timeframes for implementation. And now all of that has been folded into the Strategic Plan, under timeliness, transparency and consistency. So, the five-year plan was going according to plan, as we reported to the Finance and Administration Committee this past July. But it has become apparent that a five-year plan is not fast enough.
CAM: I guess the silver lining is everyone supports the plan, they just want it to happen sooner.
MB: Right. So where we are now is, we have an acceleration plan. And that requires additional support and resources. We couldn’t really do that without more people, without more dedicated resources toward faster upgrades to our production system. We’re going to need some contract help to expedite aspects of our program, so that’s exciting. We’re going to the Board in September with this acceleration plan and we’ll see. They seem very supportive of accelerating the permit process improvements, but that is an up-and-coming action. Some of the action plans center around making the permits timelier. Some of the ones I mentioned to the Finance and Administration Committee are around dedicated engineering program managers for complex facilities. They won’t review the permit applications. What they will do is interface between our facilities and the engineers. They work for the Air District, so there is trust on the Air District side –our engineers need to trust these folks – but they look for the places where things get stuck, and they unstick them. They develop project schedules. They keep the projects and the permits on track. They hold everybody accountable. So that’s an important one.
CAM: That sounds good. What are some other examples?
MB: We’re also hoping to create a whole backlog-reduction team because it’s really hard to continue to process the current permits, and how do you get to the ones that were left behind. We need to have a dedicated team to focus on that. And one action that is not well-known, and this relates to how industry can help us, I’ll give you a statistic that may surprise you: Only 17% of new applications, the ones
that are eligible to be submitted online, are submitted online. So that means for 83% of those applications, we have to manually enter it, and sometimes they are not complete, fields are left empty, or they are illegible in spots. This is how our engineers spend a lot of their time, dealing with the 83% of new applications that are not complete, or not legible.
CAM: In the home of Silicon Valley! That seems like something industry should commit to do – complete applications online, and ensure that all the required information is submitted.
MB: We have a whole action around online submittals. We have a portal to do online submittals, but people just don’t know about it or just don’t use it. We really want to get the word out about it, and host some trainings, on how to use it. That is another example of something we can really make some progress on together.
CAM: We’re happy to help get the word out about that. Getting good customer service is also about doing your part to be a good customer.
MB: When my engineers showed up to the Finance and Administration Committee, I told them, look, feedback is a gift. This is not personal. Don’t worry if someone is going to complain about permitting being too slow, because that’s how we get the resources and the attention we need to fix this.
CAM: How do you balance all the interests from the many different stakeholders on these issues?
MB: Some communities think that a permit means more pollution to them. That is one interest. “Hey, I don’t want that permit issued [ Continued on page 34 ]
It’s about learning how we can all work together. If businesses are following our rules, they are health-protective. They should feel pretty good.”
[ Continued from page 32 ]
because that’s a source of pollution.” Then you have the other interest of, for example, we all need to have gas stations near us, the schools need to have backup power generation, everywhere you go there is a backup engine. We have to balance all of that. We need to have a functioning society, which needs industry. A lot of this is around transparency and communication. We’ve got our rules. Our rules are what we follow, and we have the most health-protective rules for air in the country that I am aware of.
CAM: What about the connection between permitting and land-use planning. There have been many disconnects there for years.
MB: One of our strategic plan actions is around land-use planning. We don’t do land-use planning. But we know it happens before the permit applications get to us, and it causes a lot of challenges when the people who make the land-use decisions have incompatible uses too close to each other, like schools too near to a facility. So we are trying to understand and influence landuse choices before they are made so that you can separate certain industries from, say, residents, or schools, or hospitals. That’s the kind of investment to balance the needs. We need industry, we need clean air, but there are ways that you can get both. And part of that is helping people, helping applicants understand that. For example, asking an applicant, “Hey, do you have to put your engine on that side near
the school? Can you move it?” So its understanding projects, helping residents understand risk. Helping them understand what a project looks like. They worry that something bad is going to happen. It’s about learning how we can all work together. If businesses are following our rules, they are health-protective. They should feel pretty good. But there is a lack of trust.
CAM: The political environment in Washington is consuming a considerable amount of time and attention these days, particularly related to regulations and anything to do with the environment. Things are moving rapidly, and frankly it is challenging to keep up with everything. What impact has that had on your agency here in California?
MB: There’s not a lot that is happening at the federal level in Washington that is going to have us change course. We get very little of our funding from the federal government. Through state law we have the authority to pass our own rules and regulations, and enforce them. There are side effects that happen, but by and large we’re still full steam ahead with our priorities and our strategic plan.
CAM: We’ve focused a lot on the permitting process. Are there any other upcoming changes to regulations you would like us to be aware of?
MB: We are tightening up our rules on dust, and that has implications on all of the construction industry. On our website there is a ListServ
if folks want to sign up to learn more about that. We’re in the early stages of the rule-making process, so there are no decisions that have been made at all, so this is a good time to provide input and be tracking it.
CAM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
MB: Since we talked about the culture of the Air District, one challenge I see when I try to bring about culture change is, when our engineers get calls from an applicant who is frustrated with a delay, what my engineers hear is, “Oh, it’s time and money.” That’s not the mandate of the Air District to manage time and money from an applicant. Our mandate is delivering clean air. I’m trying to get our engineers to see the bigger picture of, hey, permits are protective. And that’s the reason we have them. But from a culture-change standpoint, the more that we can all align our conversations around permits to be about health, the better. It’s not just about “my project is going to be behind schedule, and I might get fired.”
CAM: But that is a major pain point for any applicant. Everyone wants clean air. But a permit delay could inflict great harm to a company, particularly a small family-owned operation. We hear about this all the time.
MB: I’m not necessarily saying that all of your folks, when they are applicants, have to say “Hey, this is good for the environment.” We just need applicants to understand that our engineers want to do the right thing for the environment, and that means issuing permits. But when the conversation focuses on a myopic view of the project focusing only on cost and schedule, it is not helping our culture.
CAM: To reiterate, our members live and work in the community, and also want clean air. But as businesses, we need to be able to plan and budget for everything related to a project, including permits. When there are delays that appear to be unexpected or unnecessary, that adds additional time and cost to a project that was not foreseen. Construction is all about schedule and money. Businesses that don’t plan and execute effectively soon find themselves out of business. Having a permit process, or any process for that matter, that is predictable is mission critical, so a business can plan and budget for it. It’s the unexpected delays, which in many cases seem unnecessary and unreasonable, that we hear the most about.
MB: I’m not saying that’s not true. But we need to build a bridge. On our side, customer service is really important to us, and we are developing that. So it is more about, how we bridge that through customer service. There is a disconnect that can sometimes exist.
CAM: And that is partly why we wanted to provide this forum for you. Thank you for sharing your insight with us. CA
Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA).
REFERENCE:
Snyder, R. (2020) “State and local air quality regulators tour asphalt plants to get an up-close view of operations,
environmental controls.” California Asphalt, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, 2020 Environmental Issue, Vol. 24, Issue 4, Page 8-11.
CENTURY PAVING:
Over 50 Years of Excellence
Powered by People
By Brian Hoover, CMS
From humble beginnings to becoming one of Southern California’s most trusted names in construction, Century Paving proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. Founded in 1974 by visionaries Harry Ray Jarvis, Salvador Carbajal, and Charles Carr, the company has thrived for over half a century thanks to a rare mix of grit, adaptability, and most importantly, the dedication of its people.
Along the way, Century Paving had mentors like Morgan Imperial of Imperial Paving and Johnny Johnson of General Asphalt Company who had vision and drive. One day they just said, “We can do this ourselves,” recalls Robert Jarvis, son of co-founder Harry Ray Jarvis and now co-owner and secretary-treasurer. “That same entrepreneurial spirit still runs through the veins of our team today,” Jarvis continues.
The Heart of a Half-Century Legacy
From the early days, when crews relied on rental equipment, hand carrying buckets of binder, and long hours under the hot California sun, to today’s world of GPS-guided paving machines and eco-friendly asphalt blends, Century Paving’s secret weapon has always been its people.
Every project, whether a schoolyard, hospital driveway, or city street, carries the fingerprints of skilled Century Paving employees who bring precision, pride, and care to their work. Many team members have stayed for decades, passing on their expertise to new generations. That mentorship culture is no accident, it’s woven into the company’s DNA.
Eddie Imperial, Sr., who became a co-owner in 2003, says it best, “Equipment changes, regulations change, but the spirit of our crew, that hard work, that pride, hasn’t changed in 50 years,” he says.
Below: Asphalt paving repairs at Strand Beach Parking Lot in Dana Point for OC Public Works.
Above: Eddie Imperial, Sr. (left), Co-Owner, Robert Jarvis, Co-Owner and Eddie Imperial Jr., Senior Estimator, Century Paving.
Parking lot sealcoating with Liquid Road at Mesa Verde Middle School, Poway, for Poway Unified School District.
Playground sealcoating and striping at Capri Elementary School, Encinitas, for Encinitas Unified School District.
ADA concrete and asphalt improvements for the STEM Lab at Pacific Rim Elementary School, Carlsbad, for Carlsbad Unified School District.
Asphalt roadway removal and replacement at Victoria Gardens Shopping Mall, Rancho Cucamonga.
Growing Through Teamwork
Robert Jarvis’ own story reflects the opportunities Century Paving offers its people. Starting as a teenager sweeping job sites and applying seal coat, he grew into leadership roles, eventually helping to guide the company through expansions, partnerships, and industry evolution.
Longtime team members like Eddie Imperial Jr., whose family roots in paving go back generations, have brought their own expertise and leadership to the company. Together with a loyal field crew and seasoned office staff, they’ve built relationships with clients that last for decades.
Adaptability and Integrity—Backed by Talent
Century Paving’s growth, from one truck to a fleet of Caterpillars, Bobcats, and more, has been
fueled not just by smart business moves but by the ability of its people to adapt. Whether it’s learning new technology, navigating environmental regulations, or stepping up during big projects, the team takes challenges in stride.
This dedication has helped the company complete over 10,000 asphalt and concrete projects, earning a reputation for delivering high-quality work on time and with integrity. “We keep our word, we do the job right, and we respect our clients’ time,” says Jarvis. “That’s why they keep coming back.”
Looking Ahead—Together
As Century Paving steps into its next 50 years, its focus remains on the people who make it all happen, investing in competitive wages, healthcare, retirement benefits, and training to bring in the next generation of paving professionals.
Active involvement in the California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA) also keeps the team connected, informed, and inspired. “Being part of CalAPA is about learning, sharing, and making the whole industry better,” Jarvis notes.
From that first $5,000 investment and a single work truck, Century Paving has grown into a regional leader. But it’s true strength has never come from machines or contracts, it comes from the men and women who show up every day, pour themselves into the work, and build something that lasts. They are the heart of the story, and the reason it keeps the company moving forward. CA
Brian Hoover is co-owner of Construction Marketing Services, LLC, and editor of CalContractor Magazine.
Above L-R: Tommy Martinez Sr., Production Manager, Karen Morgan, Office Manager, Kyle Gilbert, Senior Estimator/ Project Manager, Tommy Martinez Jr., Estimator, Lorena Ochoa, Contracts Manager, Beatriz Mora, Administrative Assistant.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR PAVEMENT NEEDS
At Diversified Asphalt, we believe that taking care of your parking lots shouldn't come at the cost of the environment. That's why we've built a legacy of eco-conscious manufacturing—from using recycled materials to implementing strict air quality controls at our facility. All materials are proudly made in the USA, ensuring quality you can trust and sustainability you can feel good about.
CalAPA members cheer thoroughbreds at annual 'Day at the Races' at Del Mar
There was plenty to cheer about as CalAPA members, family and friends once again kicked off the opening weekend of the thoroughbred racing season at Del Mar Racetrack on July 19.
From the panoramic views afforded by the CalAPA-reserved luxury skybox, attendees at the annual event were treated to food, beverages and a chance to cheer for their favorite horse. Some of the biggest names in racing have raced at Del Mar, including past Kentucky Derby winner "California Chrome."
CalAPA Sponsored the thrilling fifth race, which featured "Proud Starlet," with Tim Yakteen aboard, coming in first, followed by "Comeback Girl" in second and "Tight Squeeze" in third. "Proud Starlet" paid $17.60 on a $2 bet. CalAPA Chairman Scott Metcalf and his wife, Cindy, were part of the Winner Circle delegation.
The event also featured a festive hat contest sponsored by the Women of Asphalt California Branch, which has become a popular tradition. For more photos from the event, view the association's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/CalAPAnews/ photos . You can learn more about the Women of Asphalt California Branch by visiting https://www.calapa.net/women-ofasphalt.html CA
Sully-Miller Contracting group: (back row) Scott Bottomley, James Wilson, Mike Ramos, Catrena Ramos, Casey Boyd, Bill Boyd, (front row): Susie Muniz, Mike Acosta, Sabrina Rogers, John Rogers, James and Gaby Michaud.
C
C
2nd
3rd
Martin Marietta group; April Reid (left) with Rove Engineering, Ryan Merritt, Angela Perez, Robert Perez, Travis Ponchetti and Cheyenne Gould.
Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions’ Cindy and Scott Metcalf (left) with Gary and Nan Lewis.
David Walker (left) and Chris Lawless, Martin Marietta.
&
Transportation’s Anastasia Crandell-Henning (left), Luke Henning and Markus Henning.
Jackie Henry, CalAPA (left), Jenifer Harris, Sophie You, CalAPA and Kerry Hoover, CMS.
Hat contest winners: Junior winners Abby and Mia Myftari (held by mom Adriana Myftari).
Women’s Hat Contest Winners (L to R): 1st – Cindy Metcalf (Ergon)
– Erin Warady (Quinn Cat)
– Coco Wade (Quinn Cat)
Deborah and Jeff Benedict with Valero.
The annual hat contest sponsored by the Women of Asphalt.
Above: Gabe Maya (left), Tanner Warady, Tim Warady, Erin Warady, Coco Wade, Robin Guerrero, Allison Madden and Dennis Madden Jr., with Quinn Cat.
Top Right: Brent Arenas (left), Lauren Bierman, Ruthie and Steve Cota, Acrisure.
Right: Ken (left) and Sophie You, CalAPA.
Riye and Steve D'Ambra, Maxam Equipment, Inc.
Mike Acosta and Susie Muniz, Sully-Miller Contracting.
Robert and Angela Perez, RAP Engineering.
Century Paving group: Nicole (left) Edward and Eddie Imperial with Alli, Wendy and Robert Jarvis.
Ryan Merritt (left), Martin Marietta, Ramiro Ponce and Rick Gonzalez.
Brian and Kerry Hoover, CMS with Kristin and Brian Macy.
Environmentally responsible & regulation-compliant
Custom-engineered systems for new and existing plants
Turnkey installation, service, and ongoing support
Proudly engineered and built in the USA
Butler-Justice Inc. welcomes Brian Logan as its new Business Development and Account Manager for California
Brian Logan brings years of hands-on experience in crushing and aggregate equipment sales, with a career that has also spanned the recycling and renewable energy sectors. With more than two decades working at the intersection of recycling, renewable energy, and aggregates, Logan is perfectly positioned to help Butler-Justice expand its reach and provide innovative asphalt plant equipment solutions across California.
“I’m thrilled for the chance to work alongside Mike Butler and Todd Fields, their depth of knowledge is truly inspiring,” says Logan. “I look forward to hitting the road, meeting customers, and supporting the industry with equipment that not only builds communities but also helps protect the environment.”
Before entering the aggregate and asphalt equipment market, Logan worked in the solar industry
System,which helps municipalities, counties, and private producers reduce emissions while maximizing plant efficiency.
Logan notes that Butler-Justice’s ability to pair parts, maintenance, and service with forward-thinking equipment solutions creates a true win-win for customers, delivering productivity and reliability while keeping environmental impact top of mind.
A lifelong resident of the Inland Empire, Logan continues to live in the region where he grew up. He now covers all counties in California in his new role.”
“Butler-Justice is all about innovation and environmental stewardship,” Logan adds. “I’m excited to be part of a team that
Our Products Fuel Modern Life
We are the best-in-class producer of essential fuels and products that are foundational to modern life.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of safety and responsible operations. We are proud to have the most refineries approved as Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Sites, OSHA’s highest plant-safety designation.
Valero produces up to 45,000 barrels per day of asphalt and markets it from four refineries and nine terminals across the United States by barge, rail and truck.
and sustainable energy. We are advancing the future of energy through innovation, ingenuity and unmatched execution. Valero offers a variety of asphalt products throughout our network.
THE KEY TO SUSTAINABLE ASPHALT PAVEMENTS IS ALREADY ON THE ROAD.
By upcycling end-of-life tires and leveraging their performance properties, SigmaBond extends the life of roads while meeting California's sustainability goals.
• Designed to meet the latest Caltrans and Greenbook specifications for terminal blend PG-TR and MAC 15/10
• Only terminal blend PG-TR and ARHM that includes up to 50% waste tire rubber and at least 30% RAP
• Reduces surface wearing course thickness without sacrificing performance
• Enhances pavement marking contrast due to coloration of carbon black
• Use in all dense-graded, gap-graded and open-graded asphalt rubber mixes
Learn more about the performance benefits of terminal blended rubberized asphalt modifier. Watch our groundbreaking webinar series, Back to Black, to hear from asphalt experts in California and beyond.
Los Lagos, Granite Bay, California
