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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The use of electric arc furnace steel slag offers |
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significant benefits in terms of price, performance, and the |
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conservation of natural resources, but to date, the steel industry |
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has been unsuccessful in its efforts to work with the Texas |
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Department of Transportation to enable the use of EAF slag in road |
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construction; and |
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WHEREAS, A coproduct of the steelmaking process, EAF slag is |
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environmentally safe, as demonstrated in 1998 risk assessments |
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conducted by the Steel Slag Coalition; steelmaking slag has been |
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used commercially since at least the middle of the 19th century, and |
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it is currently used in all industrialized countries; and |
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WHEREAS, The physical shape of slag particles allows them to |
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interlock, making EAF slag more stable in formation than other |
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aggregates; slag is found to outperform natural materials in many |
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applications, providing excellent adhesion in asphaltic concrete |
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and dramatically improving skid resistance in road materials; |
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moreover, slag is highly stable when wet, prevents the formation of |
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ice, is easily compacted, and is free from the problematic surface |
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irregularities common to other aggregates; and |
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WHEREAS, Because EAF slag is a renewable mineral resource, |
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its use reduces the consumption of natural resources by the |
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construction industry; it is also more cost-effective than other |
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products; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Transportation already |
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recognizes ground and granulated blast furnace slag, a similar |
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steelmaking coproduct, as an established nonhazardous recycled |
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material suitable for use in road projects; across the country, |
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steelmaking slag generally is either specifically exempted from |
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state definitions of "solid waste" or labeled as a "coproduct" that |
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is not waste; the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, |
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now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, made a |
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case-specific regulatory determination in 1997 that EAF slag, as a |
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coproduct, was not subject to solid waste regulations when used in a |
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variety of applications, including raw material in cement, in road |
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banks and stabilized shoulders, and in select material surfacing; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The use of EAF slag in the construction of Texas |
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highways would save tax dollars while enhancing performance and |
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helping conserve natural resources; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the Texas Department of Transportation to amend its |
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procurement guidelines to permit and encourage the use of electric |
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arc furnace steel slag in road construction projects; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official |
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copy of this resolution to the director of the Texas Department of |
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Transportation. |