Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)

Page Last Updated: September 9, 2021

General

The purpose of the Caltrans Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Implementation Project is to collect EPDs for materials incorporated into construction projects in order to quantify the Global Warming Potential (GWP) emissions in the manufacturing of those materials for our transportation system.

• Caltrans EPD Implementation Project Information (PDF)

Buy Clean California

The Buy Clean California Act, originally signed into law on October 15, 2017 mandates collection of EPDs for eligible materials (carbon steel rebar, structural steel, flat glass, and mineral wool board insulation).

• Department Exemptions to Environmental Product Declarations in Public Contract Code § 3503 (PDF)
• Caltrans Standard Special Provision 6-1.06_A2-25-22 (PDF)
• Construction Manual 3-606 Buy Clean California Act

For more information on the Buy Clean California Act, please visit the CA Department of General Services.

Pilot Project Updates

Five major building materials put into service by Caltrans have been identified to include Concrete, Carbon Steel Rebar, Structural Steel (SS), Asphalt, and Aggregate and will be the initial set of materials to which EPDs will be collected on pilot projects and used for determining baseline environmental impacts.

• Latest Non-Standard Special Provision (NSSP) for Pilot Projects 6-1.06_N03-05-19_2019

Current Pilot Projects Requiring EPDs (updated 03/27/2020, additional projects to be added)

Project EA	Contract Award Approval	Eligible Materials per Buy Clean California Act				Concrete	Asphalt	Aggregate
		Rebar	Structural Steel	Flat Glass	Mineral Wool Board Insulation
02-1H110	December 31, 2019		✔				✔	✔
02-4G500	October 24, 2019	✔					✔
05-1F740	May 1, 2019	✔				✔	✔	✔
07-31040	November 4, 2019		✔				✔
08-0K121	January 22, 2020					✔		✔
08-1F690	October 24, 2019						✔	✔
12-0N490	January 22, 2020	✔	✔			✔

✔ Indicates pilot project has anticipated quantity of material meeting threshold to require EPD as set forth in NSSP

Product Category Rules

Use the product category rule in effect on the date of bid opening unless otherwise authorized. Where a product category rule for material or product has expired without replacement as of the bid opening date, no environmental product declaration is required for that particular material or product.

Where separate bid item exists (Pilot Projects only): Submit a schedule of values for material and product environmental product declarations within 15 days after Contract approval.

Material or Product	Applicable PCR	Range of Applicability
Carbon Steel Rebar and Structural Steel	North American Product Category Rule for Designated Steel Construction Products (Expired)   Product Category Rule (PCR) Guidance for Building-Related Products and Services Part B: Designated Steel Construction Product EPD Requirements	May 5, 2015 / May 5, 2020 August 26, 2020 / August 2025
Flat Glass	GANA Product Category Rule for Flat Glass - UN CPC 3711 (PDF)   GANA Product Category Rule for Flat Glass - UN CPC 3711 (PDF) (Expired)	September 30, 2013 / September 30, 2025 March 31, 2014 / March 31, 2020
Mineral Wool Board Insulation	Product Category Rule (PCR) Guidance for Building-Related Products and Services Part B: Building Envelope Thermal Insulation EPD Requirements	April 11, 2018 / April 11, 2023
Aggregate	NSF International 1-Year Extension of ASTM International's Product Category Rules for Preparing an Envinronmental Product Declaration for Construction Aggregates: Natural Aggregate, Crushed Concrete, and Iron/Steel Furnace Slag	January 2017 / December 31, 2022
Asphalt Concrete	National Asphalt Pavement Association Product Category Rules for Asphalt Mixtures (PDF)   1-Year Extension of Natioanl Apshalt Pavement Association Product Category Rules for Asphalt Mixtures (PDF) National Asphalt Pavement Association Product Category Rules (PCR) for Asphalt Mixtures	January 31, 2017 / January 2022 January 31, 2017 / March 31, 2022 April 2022 / March 2027
Concrete	Product Category Rule for Environmental Product Declarations, PCR for Concrete (PDF)	April 2021 / February 22, 2024

The current PCR for Concrete has replaced Version 1.1 dated December 2013, published by Carbon Leadership Forum.

Program Operator Consortium (POC) develops PCRs, reviews and verifies EPDs, reports Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and publishes customized Type III environmental declaration formats in accordance with the International Standard ISO 14025.

Additional Resources

• How to submit EPD data on DIME (PDF)
• Find PCRs and EPDs on their website programoperators.org
• Caltrans EPD Authorized Materials List