Ron Klink: Let’s rebuild infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions

As Democratic leaders in Congress work to pass President Biden’s $3.5 trillion investment to expand social programs, dozens of House Republican centrists who support the separate $1.2 trillion roads and rails bill are coming under political pressure. We must not lose sight of the single largest bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s. If passed by Congress, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will allow us to repair tens of thousands of roads and bridges here in Pittsburgh and across Pennsylvania.

Having worked to pass infrastructure legislation during my time in the U.S. Congress, I firmly believe that we must use environmentally friendly solutions to help rebuild America. Biden has made clear that combatting climate change and sustainability is a top priority for the White House. He just announced a plan to manage and mitigate the risks climate change poses to our economy and millions of American families.

A report by Chatham House shows that 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions is directly linked to the production of concrete. Recently, the United Nations published a paper showing that over the next 40 years “the world is expected to build 230 billion square meters in new construction” and this will “add the equivalent of Paris to the planet every single week” in concrete.

If America wants to become a world leader in combatting global climate change, we must lead by example and rebuild our domestic infrastructure with environmentally friendly solutions. Rather than simply tearing down and rebuilding large concrete structures, we need to look at environmentally safe alternatives. From an environmental standpoint, extending the life of existing structures is the ultimate act of sustainability.

Pittsburgh can once again lead the way. Innovators from the Steel City have developed low-cost solutions that will allow us to extend the life of existing structures. I recently hired Pittsburgh-based SURTREAT Solutions to fix deteriorating, cracked concrete around my home. The company applied a life-extending chemical solution to the concrete and within a few days the concrete was stronger than when it was originally poured. Instead of costing tens of thousands of dollars, it cost a few thousand dollars and came with a 30-year life extension guarantee.

This Pittsburgh employer has worked on Gillette Stadium and the NASA Kennedy space center, and developed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a solution to protect our military bases from deteriorating. SURTREAT Solutions has worked on more than 500 federally supported bridge projects in New Jersey. Its decades of expertise is now being put to work by the U.S. Department of Defense on a national security project.

We should be open to using these types of solutions to help repair America’s bridges and roads.

When it comes to combatting climate change, Biden has made clear that “the nation and the world are in peril.” As Congress works to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, our political leaders need to be open to the use of life-extending solutions for infrastructure projects that will save taxpayers money and reduce carbon dioxide emissions while lessening the devastating impact of more than 400 million tons of concrete debris that is generated every year.

Now is the time for the U.S. Congress to come together and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. We must rebuild our domestic infrastructure with low-cost environmentally friendly solutions that will allow the United States to reduce our carbon footprint and Build Back Better.

Former Democratic Rep. Ron Klink served four consecutive terms representing Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District.