NSSGA CREATES GREENHOUSE GAS PROTOCOL FOR AGGREGATES AND PULVERIZED MINERALS FACILITIES

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 9—Amid growing state efforts, and in anticipation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to establish mandatory greenhouse gas registries (GHG), NSSGA’s Environmental Committee has developed a GHG calculator to help aggregates and pulverized minerals producers calculate emissions of GHGs in an accurate, consistent and verifiable manner. Using this spreadsheet-type protocol, NSSGA member companies can determine if their emissions are above future regulatory and Congressional thresholds and can participate in voluntary emission registry programs.

NSSGA Environmental Committee Chairman Steve Whitt, Director of Environmental Services, Martin Marietta Materials said, “The GHG emissions data compiled based on this inventory protocol will help NSSGA member companies inform stockholders, public stakeholders and neighboring communities concerning GHG emissions and emission reduction programs.”

In announcing the new industry tool, NSSGA President and CEO Joy Wilson said, “The extraordinary work of NSSGA’s Environmental Committee in developing this valuable member tool relevant to one of the dominant policy debates of our time, demonstrates the creative value of NSSGA membership.”

Another important objective of this protocol is to help NSSGA member companies establish logical procedures for GHG emission calculation, record keeping, verification and reporting. Wilson noted NSSGA member companies can refine these GHG-related procedures when regulatory agencies and standards-setting organizations establish programs for GHG emission trading and credits.

NSSGA’s GHG spreadsheet protocol can evaluate, based on fuel-type, usage and power generation source, emissions from aggregate sources, ready-mix concrete operations, asphalt plants and pulverized minerals processing sources. It is based on GHG inventory procedures developed by leading organizations such as the World Resources Institute and the California Climate Action registry.

For more information on the GHG calculator tool and Users Guide, contact John Hayden at NSSGA, jhayden@nssga.org.

Based near the nation’s capital, NSSGA is the world’s largest mining association by product volume. Its member companies represent more than 90 percent of the crushed stone and 70 percent of the sand and gravel produced annually in the U.S. and approximately 118,000 working men and women in the aggregates industry. During 2007, a total of about 2.56 billion metric tons of crushed stone, sand and gravel, valued at $21 billion, were produced and sold in the United States.

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