mm
United States
iBlviron mฎintall Protoeti o n
Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustalnably
Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure
Projects
Summary Report
January 30 - February 1, 2018
Crystal Gateway Marriott
1700 Jefferson Davis HWY, Arlington, VA 22202
July 2018
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery

-------
This page is intentionally left blank.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and
Infrastructure Projects

-------
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, United States
Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and CSRA, Inc. under contract number EP-W-14-020.
Neither the United States Government nor any of its employees makes any warranty, expressed or
implied, or assumes any legal liability for any third party's use of or the results of such use of any
information, product, process, or business models discussed in the document. Mention or illustration of
company or trade names, organizations, or of commerical products does not constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use by the U.S. EPA. As of the date of this document, external links are current and
accurate, and are offered by way of example only for reference purposes. The U.S. EPA is not
responsible for content of non-U.S. EPA links. This document is for informational purposes and does not
constitute policies of the U.S. EPA or the United States Government.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and
Infrastructure Projects

-------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acronyms	iv
Background and Purpose of the Forum	1
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions	1
Theme 1: Collaboration and partnerships	2
Theme 2: Innovation and research	3
Theme 3: Life-cycle data and tools	4
Theme 4: Telling a better story about sustainable materials approaches	4
Theme 5: Enhancing secondary materials markets	6
Theme 6: Shifting paradigms	7
Next Steps	7
Appendix 1 - Meeting Agenda	9
Appendix II: Speakers and Presenters	13
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and
Infrastructure Projects

-------
ACRONYMS
ASCE - American Society of Civil Engineers
BMRA - Building Materials Reuse Association
DOT- Department of Transportation
EPA-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPD - Environmental Product Declaration
FAR - Federal Acquisition Regulation
GSA - General Services Administration
HPD - Health Product Declaration
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
LBC- Living Building Challenge
LCA - Life Cycle Assessment
LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
NCSE - National Council for Science and the Environment
PCR - Product Category Rule
PVC- Polyvinyl Chloride
RCI - Recycling Certification Institute
SMM-Sustainable Materials Management
TRB-Transportation Research Board
USGBC - U.S. Green Building Council
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and
Infrastructure Projects
iv

-------
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE FORUM
The built environment is a part of nearly every aspect of our lives - the homes we live in, the buildings we work in, the roads
we travel on, and the factories and businesses that are the engine of the American economy. In the coming decades, billions
of tons of materials will be needed to maintain and expand this infrastructure. As construction increases, new solutions will
be needed to make more efficient use of materials and resources and to minimize the associated negative environmental,
social, and health impacts. In particular, it will be important to apply life-cycle thinking to find the most productive and
efficient solutions to the challenges facing these materials.
To help advance this important movement, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its partners convened the two-
and-a-half-day Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure Projects (the
Forum) January 30- February 1, 2018, with a wide range of stakeholders who work across the spectrum of the built
environment - policy makers, non-governmental organizations, architects and engineers, developers, builders, and waste
management professionals. The purpose of the Forum was to:
•	Establish a common understanding of what it means to apply life-cycle approaches such as design for adaptability,
recycling, and disassembly; materials reuse; and life-cycle impact analysis to sustainably manage materials in
building and infrastructure projects.
•	Discuss key challenges and opportunities to expand the use of life-cycle thinking to achieve sustainable materials
management (SMM) goals in the built environment - from project design and construction to end-of-life
management and next-life markets.
•	Identify potential solutions and next steps for a variety of stakeholders to advance this work across the public and
private sectors.
Over 100 people attended the Forum and contributed their insights as participants and presenters. This summary includes a
brief, high-level summary of themes and potential actions that emerged based on the conversations from the Forum.
DESIGN
The Forum roadmap above illustrates the flow of the agenda. The group began with a discussion of incentives, requirements,
and benefits for adopting sustainable materials approaches. They moved on to discuss next life markets to reflect the
important concept of beginning with the "next" life of materials in mind. The group then explored topics related to design and
construction and wrapped up with sessions that were designed to prompt additional thinking on topics not already covered.
SUMMARY OF THEMES AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS
The Forum was designed to be broad in scope - both in terms of types of participants and in the topics discussed. Discussions
were meant to be a starting point for further conversations and actions as opposed to in-depth discussions about specific
topics or sectors.
The six themes identified as critical to advancing life-cycle thinking in the built environment were:
•	Collaboration and Partnerships
•	Innovation and Research
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
1

-------
•	Life-Cycle Data and Tools
•	Telling a Better Story About Sustainable Materials Approaches
•	Enhancing Secondary Materials Markets
•	Shifting Paradigms
THEME 1: COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
Collaboration and engagement across the project life cycle (manufacturers to end-of-life) on sustainability topics is critical. It
helps ensure that everyone understands and owns the sustainability components of a project, and helps to inspire the most
effective sustainable solutions. This theme was emphasized by a variety of participants for a range of purposes, for example,
multiple participants noted the importance of including the full project team at the earliest stages to improve cost estimating
and maximize achievement of sustainable solutions. Participants also noted that collaboration and coordination are also
important to reduce duplication of effort and information overload, given the wide range of activities that are already
happening in the area of sustainable materials and the built environment.
There was particular energy around the topic of embodied carbon and participants noted that collaborative groups have
already been formed around this topic, specifically the Embodied Carbon Networks' Carbon Smart Building Initiative.
Participants spoke highly of this group and the work they are conducting related to sustainably managing materials,
suggesting there might be a need for better coordination and standardization in the built environment community.
Participants emphasized that benefits of collaboration and partnerships span a range of purposes, for example:
•	Specifications are critical for "bridging" documents that translate design into reality and require collaborative input
and understanding from everyone across the project life cycle.
•	It is beneficial to work closely with construction contractors and subcontractors from the earliest stages of the
project to help them understand the unique sustainability components of the project and how their work was an
integral part of meeting sustainability goals. This type of engagement is also important because effective
sustainability solutions may be at different parts of the project life cycle. For example, it may be easier to
reformulate a product than it is to invent new ways to recycle that product at the end of its life.
•	Early engagement is especially important from a sustainability consulting perspective. Successful projects engage the
full project team at the earliest stages. This early engagement not only helps with accurate cost estimating, but also
helps to ensure that everyone takes ownership of project sustainability goals.
Potential Actions:
National/Regional Level:
o Facilitate communication among stakeholder groups to build trust in innovation across the life cycle and
understand the total value (both now and in the future) of emerging practices and policies that promote
reuse and SMM.
o Work with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to
continue conversations on infrastructure (not buildings). Lessons learned from the building sector could
inform infrastructure efforts,
o EPA could consider reviving the Beneficial Use Summits sponsored in the past or connect with existing
conferences where some of the same people may be gathered (e.g., the Building Materials Reuse
Association (BMRA), National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), ASCE). These potential
events should focus on creating opportunities for participants from other parts of the system life cycle or
industry sectors to interact. Similarly, they could focus on bringing the infrastructure community together
with the building community.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
2

-------
o Reconnect the impacts of chemicals with the potential waste produced from disposal of products that
contain those chemicals.
o Engage with the Product Stewardship Institute and public health sector to develop assessment standards
for key product categories specific to chemical composition of materials.
•	Local/Project Level:
o Convene local contractors to identify shared barriers and seek collective solutions to minimizing waste on
sites.
o Need to increase understanding and up-front collaboration between designers/architects and
modular/offsite builders (also applies industry-wide).
•	Specific topics
o Continue the conversation on resiliency and the relationship between improving resiliency and SMM.
o Examine the relationship between polymers and composites to evaluate how these materials impact
recycling systems. Evaluate the potential to develop markets for recycled or reused polymer and composite
materials in the built environment or of the materials need to be redesigned to prevent disposal at end-of-
life.
o Have a focused effort on treated wood to determine how best to ensure it is identified appropriately and
stays out of certain recycling streams,
o Work with the BMRA to develop a vehicle for collecting information, studies, example case studies, and
best practices.
THEME 2: INNOVATION AND RESEARCH
Several sessions highlighted the fact that sustainable solutions are often innovative solutions. They will require research and
testing to ensure that they are accomplishing sustainability goals, performance goals, and can be replicated on other projects.
Successful projects are building the idea of research into their project execution so that they can learn from these innovative
approaches and share their results with others. For example, one presenter highlighted that they have very specific test areas
where they can try out new materials and assess performance. Other projects have specifically integrated ongoing data and
information collection about some of their materials and process choices to improve their understanding of the performance.
It was noted that innovation can be a real challenge, especially in the infrastructure space, because the public often doesn't
notice successes, only failures. This attention to failures can contribute to State Department of Transportation (DOT)
agencies' reluctance to use innovative materials. Innovation can also be applied to product-service systems to address
functional needs. Innovative approaches to address functional needs (e.g., mobility, lighting, floor coverings) instead of
making products could lead to less materials-intensive approaches.
Potential Actions:
•	Government (federal, state or local) could facilitate the testing of new materials/approaches. Governments could do
this by having demonstration projects as a proof-of-concept that would help convince skeptical audiences such as
engineers and government officials. Governments can provide an environment to support innovation at the federal,
regional, state and local levels.
•	Innovative techniques are necessary to modify tenant behavior to achieve high performance building criteria. For
example, General Services Administration (GSA) uses work desk bookings (renting out desk space on a daily/weekly
basis) to allow more people to use the same building space; and incorporates building components that do not take
much effort on the tenants' part (e.g., smart lighting).
•	Infrastructure is needed to help move reused products to markets. Transfer stations are already existing
infrastructure that could be a place for people to separate or recover materials. Also, modular construction facilities
routinely maintain an inventory of materials and thus could potentially function as a site to store reusable materials.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
3

-------
•	Building codes have the potential to promote resiliency to influence materials selection. There are many layers of
building codes (e.g., city ordinances, school board rules, and federal government rules) which could be used to
promote sustainability.
THEME 3: LIFE-CYCLE DATA AND TOOLS
Forum conversations highlighted a critical need for data about materials and products as well as information management
tools to support decision making. This need is becoming increasingly urgent as people are being asked to consider a growing
number of variables as they make material choices and related project decisions. There is significant interest in having life-
cycle information about materials and products including:
•	Building and infrastructure life cycle assessments that cover multiple attributes (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions,
human health impacts, and eutrophication potential) as opposed to single attributions (e.g., only greenhouse gas
emissions).
•	Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and Product Category Rules (PCRs)
(e.g., how to manage information to make these more standardized).
•	Where materials are sourced from and what are the impacts associated with a material's source (e.g., sourcing
materials within 100 miles of the building site with little recycled content or sourcing a material from >100 miles
away with a high recycled content).
•	Material ingredients (e.g., what is the composition of materials, environmental and human health impacts of
materials ingredients, recyclability of materials).
•	Recycled content (e.g., performance of materials with recycled content).
•	Social equity impacts (e.g., how can we ensure benefits of sustainable materials approaches are spread equally
across society and do not disproportionately benefit certain communities).
•	Embodied carbon (e.g., how can we track the quantity of carbon embedded in building and infrastructure materials
and construction processes).
•	Recyclability (e.g., how can we improve the rate of and ability to recycle building and infrastructure materials).
This information is starting to become more available, but participants identified challenges with data access (i.e., some
information is proprietary), consistency in the way that data is reported, and the difficulty in interpreting this technical
information. They also noted that this information becomes increasingly difficult to gather across supply chains.
Potential Actions:
•	Work on the North American Life Cycle Database has stalled due to lack of funding. It was suggested that the
government or others could help jump start this work and make the database publicly available. To expedite this
work, it might be easier to focus on just core products or materials as opposed to the whole array of potential
building products.
•	More work needs to be done to improve the quality and consistence of PCRs, EPDs, HPDs and life cycle assessments
(LCA). More standardization will help decision-makers compare products and make more informed materials
choices. Specifically, a more unified approach in how EPDs, PCRs, and LCAs are used by federal agencies in their
purchasing of products and materials is needed.
•	There is a need to track other information about materials, such as how and where materials were made and used.
In particular, it was suggested that the Federal Government do more work to inventory the materials in their
buildings so that they could use buildings as materials banks that could be accessed in the future.
THEME 4: TELLING A BETTER STORY ABOUT SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS APPROACHES
Participants discussed the need to tell a better story about sustainable materials approaches. Although we know a lot about
energy and water use impacts for buildings, we know less about materials-related impacts. U.S. Green Building Council
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
4

-------
(USGBC) is starting to build a better story as more projects adopt the materials credits in Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) V4 and the Embodied Carbon Network is helping distribute and develop information regarding
the embodied carbon in building materials and the associated environmental impacts.
One element of the story that emerged during some of the Forum discussions was the potential impact on local economies
from choosing more sustainable materials paths. One presenter noted that in their building project, they were able to
purchase a significant amount of their materials and products within 200 or 500 miles from the project site. Another
participant noted changing city ordinances to promote the deconstruction of older homes helped develop an entire local
industry to deconstruct buildings then manage the resulting materials. Taking advantage of local economies by sourcing
materials near site of construction or by developing innovative materials sources helps promote markets for local material
suppliers and producers.
Given that projects are taking similar approaches all over the country, the local economic and transformational benefits of
building sustainably may be emerging. These stories need to be captured, quantified and conveyed to contribute to the
overall story of the benefits of sustainable materials approaches.
Participants noted that there are a variety of potential benefits of SMM to convey. Although the audiences will vary, below
are examples of the types of information that could be helpful for telling a better story:
•	Equity impacts of materials choices (e.g., impact of supply chains on human rights, impact on fenceline
communities).
•	Impact of secondary materials markets on local economies.
•	Reduced environmental impacts of materials.
•	Waste generated or diverted during construction or operation, including tipping fees avoided and wages/jobs
created.
•	Understanding the drivers behind diverting solid waste during building operation is important for replicating results.
•	Decreases in the amount of materials purchased over time.
•	Improved materials performance has a potentially positive relationship with improved resilience.
•	Health impacts of materials choices.
Potential Actions:
•	Enlist economists to help make a better economic case for sustainable materials approaches. Natural capital
accounting is a way to translate life-cycle data into dollars. Some of the stories that would benefit from economists
are:
o Enhancing the "local economy" and transformation message associated with sustainable materials projects,
o Demonstrating cost savings, now and in the future, of incorporating SMM into projects and secondary
materials markets.
o Explore opportunities to apply "natural capital accounting" methods to tell a better story about sustainable
materials approaches.
o Benefits of reuse compared to costs of waste disposal (e.g. heath and economic costs of waste disposal).
•	Create a clearinghouse of success stories and best practices at each stage of the life cycle. An example is a virtual
resource center called, "Further with Food: Center for Food Loss and Waste Solutions" (www.furtherwithfood.org).
Further with Food is a jointly funded effort among government, non-profits, and the private sector that is a
repository of information related to food waste reduction, including success stories and best practices.
•	Compile a list of people willing and able to talk at similar events to the Forum.
•	Gather and disseminate best practices and/or publish a best practice guide on different topics related to materials
management in the built environment.
o Share similarities between green building rating systems (e.g., LEED, Living Building Challenge (LBC), WELL
Building Standard)
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
5

-------
o Share similarities between ecolabels used in the built environment
•	Strengthen the connections between the circular economy and resource efficiency efforts with SMM. Those
movements have a lot of traction domestically and internationally. Similarly, connect advancing SMM in the built
environment to larger carbon reduction strategies, which is the focus of many industry initiatives.
THEME 5: ENHANCING SECONDARY MATERIALS MARKETS
There were several discussions at the Forum that focused on how to enhance secondary markets - markets in which
materials are reused or recycled into next-life uses as opposed to disposal. Promoting next-life uses through secondary
markets plays an essential part in promoting sustainable materials approaches. However, the continued development of
these faces several challenges, including:
•	Variability in availability of secondary materials relative to where there is a need for the materials.
•	Higher costs for secondary materials versus primary raw materials.
•	Variability in the quality of secondary materials compared to raw materials.
•	Difficulty in recycling or reusing certain materials (e.g., Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)).
•	Concerns about the environmental/human health impacts of secondary materials.
One presenter described their work to help address some of the challenges through the development of online marketplaces
that help connect secondary materials sellers with potential buyers. This system is expanding and being adopted by state and
local governments to help match secondary materials to potential users.
Potential Actions:
•	Promote adaptive reuse first; identify ordinances to support it; highlight in EPA's SMM in the Built Environment
Program.
•	Government could promote and incentivize end market development by providing guidance on how to collect and
process materials into new construction projects (e.g., encourage wallboard recycling and support with development
of more facilities).
•	Work with designers/contractors on reverse supply chain for the largest quantity materials/products and connect to
haulers/end markets.
•	Develop incentives for smaller players (e.g., waste haulers and recyclers) or collection and buying. These groups can
influence material disposition and drive demand for secondary materials.
•	Promote Recycling Certification Institute (RCI) facility certification. RCI uses third-party verification networks to help
certify the accuracy and reliability of construction and demolition recycling facilities' reported recycling rates
thereby ensuring more responsible next-life management of materials.
•	Enact policies to require that higher-risk materials are kept intact (e.g., formaldehyde-based resins).
•	Change policies/practices at transfer stations to favor reuse - for example, to allow access for salvage.
•	Explore the role federal agencies could play in enhancing secondary materials and markets. For example:
o EPA encourages reuse and recycling; however, there are regulatory challenges with industrial waste and the
regulations are often not clear, especially for material reuse. EPA could provide more clarity to help
companies evaluate how to manage waste for reuse,
o Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, and GSA set the standards for the construction of federal
buildings and could require more secondary materials use in the procurement process,
o GSA can set and/or modify the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) to support the Federal Government's
use of secondary materials,
o The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) can encourage reuse and recycling via revising the tax code, tax
abatement/incentive programs and policies to support secondary/reuse markets.
•	Develop a risk assessment framework for recycled building products to inform reuse decisions.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
6

-------
o EPA's Beneficial Use Methodology could be used as a starting point.
THEME 6: SHIFTING PARADIGMS
Throughout the Forum, participants noted a number of important paradigm shifts that are taking place across the country.
These included:
•	Reducing the quantity of materials needed or the quantity of products needed upfront.
•	Shifts from thinking about first costs to life-cycle costs, although many procurement systems are not set up to
accommodate this new type of thinking.
•	Moving from planned obsolescence of products to designing for durability and next-life uses.
•	Moving from separate teams and roles on individual building projects to more integrated teams and collaborative
environments.
•	Seeing infrastructure and buildings as materials banks that could be accessed in the future, instead of as just
infrastructure and buildings.
•	Changing financial incentives to promote more sustainable materials approaches (e.g., defraying costs of reused
materials, incentivizing materials separation, etc.).
These changes are also reflected in the sentiment that science and rating systems are outpacing market activities. Project
teams are being forced to adopt new approaches that they may not be familiar with or that the market yet fully supports. In
all cases, we need to be thinking about ways to bridge these gaps and facilitate the evolution of thinking.
Potential Actions:
•	Post the resources, such as the websites identified during the meeting, on the EPA website to make the information
known and available.
•	Compile list of all the many tools already created for the built environment and work on getting them used (do not
make duplicate guides/tools), possibly through a virtual web-based clearinghouse.
•	Identify and share existing tools in use at the state and/or regional level.
•	Educate stakeholders about potential benefits of sustainable materials approaches by including this topic in
professional association conferences and other learning/development opportunities for:
o owners;
o building scientists;
o architects/designers; and
o municipalities/government entities.
•	Enhance life-cycle cost approaches to facilitate the shift in emphasis from first costs to accounting for life-cycle costs.
•	Stop designing materials for "planned obsolescence." Make the longer-term savings associated with using more
resilient products and materials more obvious.
NEXT STEPS
The built environment represents an area of both great need and great opportunity to manage materials such that resources
are used most productively and sustainably throughout their life cycles. Billions of tons of materials are needed to simply
maintain the infrastructure we have and billions of tons more will be needed in the future to expand this infrastructure. The
sheer magnitude of resources required combined with the complexities of the materials used in our infrastructure further
complicate the picture. Life-cycle thinking and understanding the relationships between disparate components is critical to
helping the built environment community work together to ensure our limited resources are used efficiently and
economically.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
7

-------
Participants suggested that similar forums in the future should be held to ensure that the dialogue on these topics continues.
Future events should consider the suggested improvements below:
•	Increase the level of small-group interaction and action-oriented discussions.
•	Focus on smaller-scale examples and potentially use mock projects to focus discussions.
•	Have discussions that are more focused on specific materials or processes.
•	Have more prominent roles for product manufacturers, waste management companies, and policy makers.
•	Increase focus on transportation and infrastructure-related issues.
•	Engage in a prioritization of potential action items at the end of the event.
It is only through our collective action that these challenges will be addressed. The Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to
Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure Projects addressed a critical need to bring stakeholders from
across the life cycle of building and infrastructure projects together. The Forum provided a setting for diverse stakeholders to
discuss the challenges and opportunities for managing materials. This document outlined some of the themes heard during
those discussions and the potential actions that could be taken to address the identified challenges. From collaboration and
partnerships to shifting paradigms, the themes can help frame future conversations needed to drive significant changes and
ensure we are resilient against future resource limitations.
The discussions at the Forum were just a starting point and EPA will continue to play a role in facilitating sustainable materials
management in the built environment. Using the themes and potential actions identified, EPA will continue to foster
collaborative conversations and work with the built environment community to make progress toward a more resource
efficient and resilient future.
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
8

-------
APPENDIX I: MEETING AGENDA
TUESDAY JANUARY 30, 2018
8:30 - 9:00 Welcome, Purpose, and Forum Roadmap
Kathleen Salyer, Deputy Director, U.S. EPA Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
Tommy Wells, Director, District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment
9:00 - 9:45 Life Cycle Thinking and the Future of the Built Environment
Michelle Wyman, Executive Director, National Council for Science and the Environment
At the construction crossroads - the compelling case for investing in sustainable infrastructure
and buildings.
9:45 -10:00 BREAK
10:00 - 11:15 Sustainable Materials Success Stories
Participants will hear real-world insights about how life cycle thinking is being used to make more
sustainable materials management decisions on projects. Presenters and participants will explore
what drives decisions, what contributes to successful sustainable materials outcomes, challenges,
and what resources or actions are needed to expand adoption of these approaches.
•	Illinois Tollway Project
Pete Foernssler, Deputy Chief of Program Implementation, Illinois Tollway
•	RW Kerns Center at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts
Jason Jewhurst, Principal, Bruner/Cott & Associates
11:15 - 11:30 Primer for Breakout Discussion Round 1: Key Incentives for Using Sustainable Materials
Management Approaches in Building and Infrastructure Projects
11:30-12:45 LUNCH
12:45 - 2:15 Breakout Discussions Round 1: Key Incentives for Using Sustainable Materials
Management Approaches in Building and Infrastructure Projects
Participants will proceed to breakout sessions where they will explore how to enhance important
incentives that promote increased use of sustainable materials management approaches in the
built environment. Participants should choose from one of the following topics:
•	SALON C: How can we enhance state infrastructure policies and regulations to
encourage life cycle thinking and sustainable materials approaches?
Conversation Starters: Dr. Heather Dylla, Federal Highway Administration; Charleen Fain-
Keslar, California Department of General Services
•	LEE: How can we increase the visibility or priority of sustainable materials
concepts in national/state/local building policies and requirements?
Conversation Starter: Jordan Palmeri, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
9

-------
•	JACKSON: How can we better convey the benefits of sustainable materials
approaches? What can we learn from the latest high performance building
examples?
Conversation Starter: Kinga Porst Hydras, General Services Administration
2:15 - 2:35 BREAK and Return from Breakouts
2:35 - 3:05 Report Back from Breakouts
3:05 - 3:30 Primer for Breakout Discussion Round 2: The Critical Role of End-of-life Management
and Next-life Markets to Successful Sustainable Materials Management Approaches
Amanda Kaminsky, Building Product Ecosystems
Briefly review the important role that recycling, reuse, and end-of-life management play in the
successful application of sustainable materials solutions.
3:30 - 3:45 BREAK and Move to Breakout Room
3:45 - 5:15 Breakout Discussion Round 2: The Critical Role of End-of-life/Next-life Markets
Participants will proceed to breakout discussions related to "end-of-life/next-life" markets.
Participants should choose from one of the following topics:
•	LEE: How do we address real or perceived environmental challenges associated
with secondary materials to make it easier for them to be reused and still
protect the environment?
Conversation Starter: Dr. Timothy Townsend, University of Florida
•	SALON C: How do we improve our ability to support fundamental and innovative
secondary markets?
Conversation Starters: Andrew Mangan, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable
Development - Materials Marketplace; Joseph Klatt, Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency
5:15 - 5:25 BREAK and Return from Breakouts
5:25 - 5:45 Report Back from Breakouts
5:45-6:00 Closing Thoughts for Day 1
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 31, 2018
8:30-8:40 Morning Welcome
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, U.S. EPA Region 1 Administrator
8:40 - 8:50 Day 1 Recap and Preview of Day 2
8:50 - 9:15 Primer for Breakout Discussion Round 3: Integrating Life Cycle Thinking into Project
Design and Execution
Anne Hicks Harney, Green Long Specs; Melissa Wackerle, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
10

-------
Learn about the current work AIA is doing to promote life cycle thinking among architects and
designers.
9:15 - 9:30 BREAK and Move to Breakout Rooms
9:30 - 11:00 Breakout Discussion Round 3: Integrating Life Cycle Thinking into Project Design and
Execution
After brief topic insights from session leaders, participants will explore how to advance
sustainable materials decisions in the design and execution of projects and identify best practices
or words of advice for project teams. Key topics include:
•	SALON C: How do we encourage product transparency, especially about
embodied carbon and environmental impacts, to facilitate more informed
materials choices?
Conversation Starter: Dr. Dhvani Parikh, U.S. Green Building Council
•	LEE: How can we better design for adaptability, recycling, and disassembly?
Conversation Starter: Bradley Guy, American University
•	JACKSON: How do we capitalize on the sustainable materials opportunities of
modular and offsite construction?
Conversation Starter: John Erb, NRB
11:00 - 11:20 BREAK and Return from Breakouts
11:20 - 11:50 Report Back from Breakouts
11:50-1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 2:15 Specifications Discussion
Lisa J. Goodwin Robbins, Kalin Associates and Paul Bertram, Construction Specifications Institute
Specifications professionals will share the challenges and opportunities associated with using
specifications and standards to implement sustainable materials design and planning decisions.
2:15-2:30 BREAK
2:30 - 4:15 Sustainable Materials Management During Construction - A Panel Presentation and Full
Group Discussion
Divya Natarajan, Paladino; Geoff Brock, Lendlease; and Peter Ukstins, Davis Construction
Contractors and construction teams are the critical link in making sustainable materials goals a
reality. We will briefly explore the onsite practices that have implications throughout the project
life cycle and hear what three companies are doing to promote sustainable materials
management practices. The full group will engage in a follow-on discussion to identify additional
successful practices, challenges, and ideas for further progress.
4:15-4:30 BREAK
4:30 - 5:00 Review and Discuss Key Learnings and Messages, Preview of Day 3
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
11

-------
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2018
8:30 - 8:45 Recap from Day 2 and Preview of Day 3
8:45 - 10:15 "TED"-style Talks to Inspire Further Thinking
•	Measuring our Impact - Assessing Society-Wide Progress Towards More Sustainable Materials
Management through National and City Level Material Footprint Measures
Dr. Anu Ramaswami, University of Minnesota
•	Moving to Service Models - New Approaches to Reduce Materials and Waste
Monica Miller, ThyssenKrupp
•	Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Beyond -Tools and Technologies and their
Implications for Sustainable Materials Management in Design and Construction
Kurt Maldovan, Jacobs Engineering
•	The Power of Collaboration in Developing the New York Zero Waste Design Guidelines
Clare Miflin, Kiss + Cathcart, Architects
10:15-10:30 BREAK
10:30 - 11:00 Review of Key Themes and Advice that Emerged During the Forum
11:00 - 11:45 Discuss Immediate Actions and Longer-term Next Steps
11:45 - 12:00 Closing Remarks
Barry Breen, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, U.S. EPA Office of Land and Emergency
Management
Summary of Themes and Potential Actions: Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to SustainablyManageMaterialsin Building and
Infrastructure Projects
12

-------
APPENDIX II: SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS
reported at 22 per day.
Paul Bertram is a Distinguished Member, a Fellow and former President of CSI - the
Construction Specifications Institute. He is now President of his consulting firm PRB Connect
after opportunities within the manufacturing sector and his firm PRB Design. He coordinated
development of the first of its kind, in the US, Cradle to Grave ISO compliant Environmental
Product Declaration. His recent work includes advocacy for resilient and high performance, low
cartoon retrofit buildings. His 30 years of expertise includes building product environmental
lifecycle functional performance, and envelope first energy efficiency strategies. In Laboratory
mockup testing of exterior systems is a current focus. He serves on the Board of the National
Institute of Building Sciences and liaison for the Building Enclosure Technology and
Environment Council as well as a member of the Off-Site Construction Council. He also is a
member of the GSA High Performance Green Advisory Committee. He started his career as part
of Design & Development at Walt Disney World. His passion, as a Vietnam veteran, is
volunteering for the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs preventing veteran suicides that are
Barry Breen is the Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of the EPA's Office of Land and
Emergency Management (OLEM). He is responsible for managing the EPA's hazardous and solid
waste management programs, hazardous waste cleanup programs under the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act, Superfund and federal facilities cleanup and redevelopment, Brownfields
program oil spill prevention and response program chemical accident prevention and response
program underground storage tank program, and emergency response program.
Before joining OLEM in 2002. Barry was the Director of the EPA's Office of Site Remediation
Enforcement, and before that led EPA's Federal Facilities Enforcement Office. Prior to joining the
EPA. Barry was Editor-in-Chief of the Environmental Law Reporter and Director of Publications
at the Enviromnental Law Institute. He was a trial attorney in the Justice Department's criminal
division, and an Assistant to the General Counsel, Department of the Army.
Barn teaches environmental law as an adjunct professor at American University law school. He
lias an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Barry received the
Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive Service, the EPA's Award for Exemplary Leadership in Human Resources
Management, the Army's Meritorious Service Medal, and American University's Faculty Award for Outstanding Adjunct
Teaching.
Geoff Brock lias worked in Construction Management at Lendlease for almost 12 years, in both
Project Management and corporate Sustainability. With an academic background in Civil
Engineering, Architecture. Urban Studies, Environmental Management and Real Estate
Development. Geoff has focused his efforts on the urban built envioromnent with research in the
material supply chain, construction site logistics and waste management infrastructure'. He is
responsible for the environmental reporting and management of Energy', Water and Waste for the
entire Lendlease Americas portfolio consisting of around 50 large scale construction projects at
any given time. He credits much of his success to industry collaboration efforts and multi-
stakeholder initiatives with a goal of sharing knowledge and building critical mass. Geoff is also
a board member of Smiling Hogshead Ranch a non-profit urban farm collective in Long Island
City, NY. He currently resides with his family in Philadelphia, PA.
13

-------
::fo
I w.
* w
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn serves as the Regional Administrator for EPA Region 1. Her
responsibilities include overseeing the states of Connecticut, Maine. Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island. Vermont and ten tribal nations. Prior to joining EPA Region 1, Ms.
Dunn served as executive director and general counsel for the Environmental Council of States
(ECOS). a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to helping state agencies
improve environmental outcomes for all Americans. Since 2014, Ms. Dumi lias helped state
governments improve water infrastructure, air pollution control, site cleanup, chemical
management, and economic development. Prior to joining ECOS, Ms. Dunn served as executive
director and general counsel for the Association of Clean Water Administrators.
Ms. Dunn lias been published in the areas of the ethics of community advocacy, environmental
justice, urban sustainability, water quality, cooperative federalism and the Clean Water Act. She
lias taught on the subjects of environmental justice, and human rights and the environment as dean
of Environmental Law Programs at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She lias also taught at the Columbus
School of Law, Catholic University of America, where she served as faculty adviser to the student Environmental Law Society.
Ms. Dunn most recently taught environmental justice as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law at the American University's
Washington College of Law.
In 2015, Ms. Dunn was elected to the American College of Environmental Lawyers and served in leadership roles through the
end of 2017. She also served through the end of 2017 on the executive committee and board of directors of the Enviromnental
Law Institute. She lias chaired the American Bar Association's (ABA) section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, its
World Justice Task Force, and served on the ABA Presidential Force on Sustainable Development.
Ms. Dunn received a B,A. in political science from James Madison University followed by a J.D. from the Columbus School of
Law, where she was elected editor-in-chief of the law review. She is a member of the bar in D.C., Maryland, and New York,
and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dr. Heather Dylla is the Sustainable Pavement Engineer for the Federal Highway
Administration, where she manages the FHWA Sustainable Pavements Program and Pavement
Life Cycle Cost Analysis Program. Prior to joining FHWA, Heather was the Director of
Sustainable Engineering for the National Asphalt Pavement Association where she managed
programs that assisted producers, contractors, and designers in improving the sustainability of
pavement construction. In this role, she led an industry effort to develop an Enviromnental
Product Declarations Program for asphalt mixtures. Heather obtained her doctorate from the
Louisiana State University where she focused on quantifying the environmental impacts of
photocatalytic concrete pavements.
John Erb lias over 20 years of technical sales experience in the modular construction industry
and has a degree in Architecture, with additional studies in structural engineering and
construction management. John is responsible for the Sales and Business Development for NRB
(USA). John has accumulated a vast amount of experience in the design, build and installation of
permanent modular construction projects, and in particular within the Multi-family residential
market."
14

-------
Bm
Pete Foernssler, as a deputy cliief of program implementation for the Illinois Tollway,
successfully delivered the $2.5 billion Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (1-90) Rebuilding and
Widening Project as part of the Tollway's 15-year, $14 billion capital program. Move Illinois:
The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
Mr. Foernssler has more than 26 years of engineering experience and has been employed by the
Tollway for nine years. Prior to joining the Tollway in 2008, he was an engineering business
owner and worked for multiple consulting engineering firms as a program manager, structural,
civil and construction engineer on major highway , airport and railroad projects throughout
Illinois.
Mr. Foernssler earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in
Structural Engineer from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He is a licensed
Professional Engineering and Structural Engineer in Illinois.
Bradley Guy is an Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the MS in Sustainable Design
program. School of Architecture + Planning, The Catholic University of America, Washington,
DC. He is also the Director of the Center for Building Stewardship, and Director of the MS in
Facilities Management Program at CUArch. His teaching and research focus on sustainable and
healthy materials and C&D waste, life cycle assessment, prefabrication and modular design
design with reclaimed materials, and design for deconstruction. Brad lias received The Graham
Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts Research Fellowship and is currently a member
of the LEED Social Equity Pilot Credit Working Group and the AIA Materials Knowledge
Working Group. Brad was a co-editor for the book "Construction Ecology," and co-author of a
book on building deconstruction titled. "Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures of
Unwanted Houses". Mr. Guy also wrote the on-line "Design for Disassembly in the Built
Em ironmelit" guide for King County, WA. He lias a M.S. in Architectural Studies from the
University of Florida, and a B.Arch. from the University of Arizona, and is an Associate of the
AIA and an USGBC LEED AP BD+C."
Kinga Porst Hydras, serves as an energy and water efficiency expert in the GSA Office of
Federal High-Perfonnance Buildings, with particular focus on sub-metering, energy' efficiency
programs, renewable energy, and indoor enviromnental quality. She has been working on
improving the usage of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) in the federal government,
forming public-private partnerships to achieve deep energy retrofits in existing buildings. She is a
member of the GSA ESPC Program Management Office. Kinga is also a member of the
Interagency Energy Management Task Force, Better Buildings Alliance, Building Technology
Research and Development Committee. Kinga has over 20 years experience in the public and
commercial building industry with extensive knowledge in energy management, energy analysis,
air conditioning and high performance building practices and policies coupled with 10 years
experience in sales and marketing management. In 2010 Kinga served as the elected President of
the National Capital Chapter of ASHRAE for a one-year term, she was the first female President of
the Chapter. Kinga has an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and a Masters in
Engineering Degree from the Technical University of Budapest. Kinga is a CEM and a LEED-AP
Jason Jewhurst is a Principal at Bruner/Cott Architects, where his passion for reconnecting with
the natural environment informs his work as a specialist in sustainability and high-performance
building design. With a strong technical background in building systems and technology, Jason
welcomes sustainable design challenges that demand innovative solutions. His work includes
projects that transform academic campuses with net-positive design, including the Regenerative
Village at Yale Divinity School and the R. W. Kern Center at Hampshire College, both designed
to meet the Living Building Challenge. In 2015, Jason helped establish the International Living
Future Institute's East Coast Congress, a think tank for sustainable policy and advocacy. Jason is
a frequent presenter at conferences and in college classrooms, and volunteers with several
organizations seeking to create a healthier, more sustainable building and design industry.
15

-------
Charleen Fain-Keslar is the Standards and Quality Control Manager for the California
Department of General Services (DGS), where she guides and directs state buyers to incorporate
quality, sustainability and competition into public procurements through DGS' Standards and
Specifications and Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) programs. In this role she is
leading implementation of the Buy Clean California Act to establish a maximum global warming
potential and Environmental Product Declarations for construction materials in public works
contracts. Charleen has more than two decades of California state service in testing and materials
and program management. Her participation in several multi-stakeholder initiatives lias
contributed to a shared understanding of the complexity in public institutional purchasing
organizations. She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from California State University,
Sacramento
Lisa J. Goodwin Robbins, RA. CCS, LEED AP, has been writing specifications for over 20
years and is employed by Kalin Associates, an independent specifications consulting finn in the
Boston area. Working on a wide variety of project types, she supports other Architects, both
designers and project managers, in their efforts to be green, to solve problems, and to get their
projects built. She helps to develop and maintain Kalin Associates' sustainable design
specifications, LEED, LBC, and WELL documentation requirements, and master specification
systems.
Amanda Kaminsky is Founder and Principal of Building Product Ecosystems [BPE] LLC,
operating multi-disciplinary collaboratives that evolve feedstocks, infrastructure, and logistics for
optimal systemic health and performance of major building materials on behalf of building
owners and their supply chains and recycling networks. Amanda carefully pilots improvements
on projects under active development with building owners, manufacturers, recyclers, contractors,,
designers/engineers, regional policy makers, and academic researchers. Collective pilot learnings
are shared amongst collaborators for expedited industiy progress. Informed by piloting and lab
testing, solutions are quality-controlled and streamlined for scaled implementation via evolution
of existing codes/standards, and creation of new ones.
E	J BPE was originally founded by Amanda and the Durst Organization as a public private
^^ | partnership with The New School, City University of New York, Healthy Building Network, and
Vidaris. Before and during early stages of BPE, Amanda also led sustainable construction and
procurement efforts at The Durst Organization from 2005-2015. In collaboration with NYC Department of Sanitation, she also
managed execution of New York City's first high rise residential organics collection/compost program, and further deployed
those learnings rollout of the first portfolio-wide commercial organics collection program in NYC. Amanda Chairs the Health
Product Declaration Collaborative Board, and is a Director on the Board of Healthy Building Network. She holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Architecture from University of Virginia.
Joseph Klatt is an environmental specialist in the Sustainability Unit at the Ohio Enviromnental
Protection Agency. He is the project lead for the Ohio Materials Marketplace, a free online
software platform allowing Ohio businesses and organizations to connect and find ruse and
recycling solutions for waste and by-product challenges. He holds a Master of Public Affairs
degree from Indiana University's School of Public and Enviromnental Affairs.
16

-------

Kurt Maldovan is the Director of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) at The Practice
Technology group at Jacobs Buildings, Infrastructure, and Advanced Facilities (BIAF). This
group is focused on interrogating the most forward thinking approaches in design and
construction. As Director VDC, Kurt Maldovan is actively developing and implementing
technology based strategies to continuously add value and reduce waste within the practice and
with clients who Jacobs supports. Maldovan lias been actively engaged with academic outreach
and research, including the advisory board for Pemi State's BIM Project Execution Planning
Guide (PxP) and the BIM Planning Guide for Facility Owners and the USACE Industry BIM
Consortia. He is a graduate of Penn State University's Architectural Engineering Program and
published seven industry articles as a member of the Computer Integrated Construction research
team.
Andrew Mangan is founder and president of Pathway21, a company that enables business-to-
business industrial reuse tlirough the award-winning Materials Marketplace software platform,
supporting a culture shift to a circular, closed-loop economy. Mr. Mangan is also founder of the
United States Business Council for Sustainable Development, a non-profit association of
businesses launched in 1993. The Council combines the capabilities of its members to develop,
test and scale sustainability solutions. The Materials Marketplace is scaling after more than 20
years of work.
The Materials Marketplace is driven by expert facilitators who help companies find reuse
opportunities, bring the parties together, and work toward a deal. It also facilitates communication
between senior government decision makers and company operators, helping uncover barriers
and opening the door to sound solutions.
Mr. Mangan received a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and attended the
Columbia School of International Affairs as an International Fellow. He served as deputy commissioner for natural resources
with the Texas General Land Office, as a congressional correspondent for the Associated Press, and as a commercial salmon
fisherman in Southeast Alaska.
Clare Miflin lias over 20 years of architectural experience, mostly from her work at Kiss +
Cathcart, Architects —a firm well known for their philosophy of "productive" architecture
focusing on human environmental and economic benefits. Having designed buildings to meet
LEED Platinum. Passive House and Living Building Challenge rating systems. Clare realizes the
importance of rigorous metrics, but knows that inspiration, hope and vision also have a crucial
role to play. Clare led the development of the AIANY Zero Waste Design Guidelines - a
multidisciplinarv collaboration to develop strategies to reduce waste tlirough the design of the
built environment. These guidelines provide architects and design teams with inspiration and
guidance to reduce the materials that compose our buildings as well as those that pass tlirough
them daily.
Fascinated by what we can learn from natural systems, she is part of the 2016-2018 Biomimicry
Professional Cohort. She is also co-chair of the AIANY's Committee on the Environment; a
member of NYC's Living Building Collaborative and the Sustainability Coordinator for her local food cooperative.

17

-------
Monica Miller is ThyssenKrupp Elevator's Sustainable Design Manager and is serving
ThyssenKrupp as their sustainable building expert. Monica is also a licensed landscape architect.
Her previous experience as a project manager for design and construction projects both
internationally and in the United States, allows her to fully understand the construction and
design process. She lias participated on LEED project teams and led ThyssenKrupp's
manufacturing facility to achieve LEED Gold in 2015. Monica is also a Living Building
Challenge Ambassador as well as a WELL Accredited Professional advocating for the growth of
healthy buildings and healthy materials.
Other projects Monica is working on include: developing Health Product Declarations, a Declare
label for Living Building Challenge projects, and working with manufacturing to continually
develop healthy materials. As well as facilitating LEED Gold certification for ThyssenKrupp's
almost 700,000 square feet manufacturing facility, in Middleton, TN.
Monica was reared as a fourth generation farmer and rancher. This experience of being a steward of the land coupled with her
pragmatism allow her to practically apply sustainability. Monica has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from
Kansas State University with a secondary degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. She lias also completed
graduate work in Sustainability at Southern Methodist University.
Divya Natarajan is a sustainability & wellness consultant with experience in high aspirational
buildings for commercial office, hospitality, healthcare, residential and institutional buildings.
Divya's combined background in architecture, sustainability and business gives her a unique
perspective on the implementation of sustainability strategies in real estate.
As a consultant Divya has worked on over 10 million sf of certified projects using certifications
such as LEED, WELL, Fitwel, Sites and Living Building Challenge. She lias experience in both
design and construction management and has worked with local and international teams to
streamline documentation processes. Divya has conducted brown bag and training sessions on
best practices in materials management, green codes and the emerging sustainability landscape
for architects, contractors and real estate organizations.
Jordan Palmeri is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Materials Management Program at the Oregon
Department of Enviromnental Quality, where he coordinates projects around the built
enviromnent, life cycle assessments, and purchasing. He's worked on building and zoning codes,
rating systems, and served as a technical and policy expert for small housing initiatives. He
recently finished a 2-year term on the US Green Building Council's Materials and Resources
Technical Advisory Group and is now leading a program to help Oregon concrete producers
develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Jordan holds a MS in Environmental
Science from Tulane University.
Dr. Dhvani Parikh is a toxicologist at USGBC and staff liaison to LEED Materials and
Resources Technical Advisory Group (MR TAG), supporting technical development and
implementation in the area of materials in LEED. Prior to that within USGBC, Dhvani led a
year-long technical working group developing standard criteria for performance based indoor air
assessment in the area of indoor environmental quality. Dhvani lias master's and doctoral
research degrees in enviromnental health sciences and molecular toxicology from New York
University and University of Pittsburgh respectively .
18

-------
Dr. Anu Ramaswami is the Chair Professor of Science Technology & Environmental Policy at
the University of Mirmesota and among the leading scholars on sustainable urban infrastructure.
She has seen her work adopted as policies and protocols for developing sustainable cities in the
United States and internationally. She is lead PI and Director of the US National Science
Foundation's interdisciplinary Sustainable Healthy Cities Network.
Rainaswaini's research spans environmental science, industrial ecology, sustainable
infrastructure design urban systems analysis, and integration of science and teclinology with
policy and planning for real-world implementation in communities. She lias developed novel
interdisciplinary research and education in these diverse areas. She is the author of a graduate
level textbook on integrated environmental modeling, and is presently developing a Social
Ecological-Infrastructural System framework to study Sustainable Urban System.
Ramaswami received her B.S. in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Techno logy-
Madras, India, and her M.S. and PhD in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie
Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Ramaswami serves on the United Nation's International Resource Panel and co-chairs its
inaugural report on SDGs to the UN.
Kathleen Salyer is the Deputy Director of the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery at
the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), a position she has held since
January 2015. The Office is responsible for promoting resource conservation through sustainable
materials management, ensuring safe management of solid and hazardous waste and cleaning up
enviromnental contamination at hazardous waste management facilities. Kathleen leads efforts
on Sustainable Materials Management, including wasted food, life cycle analysis, built
enviromnent, and sustainable packaging. She is actively engaged in the G7 Alliance on Resource
Efficiency and collaborations with other international partners. Prior to her current position,
Kathleen was an Assistant Director of the Superfund Program in U.S. EPA Region 9 in San
Francisco. California. She lias over 20 years' experience in environmental management.
Kathleen has a BA in Geology from Whitman College and a Masters in Enviromnental Public
Policy from University of Maryland. College Park.
Dr. Timothy Townsend is a Professor in the Department of Enviromnental Engineering
Sciences in the Engineering School for Sustainable Infrastructure and the Environment at the
University of Florida. Dr. Townsend teaches and conducts research related to solid and
hazardous waste management. His courses cover subjects such as waste management
fundamentals, landfill design, recycling, construction and demolition debris, and waste
management in developing countries. He lias published many papers and reports on topics
related to bioreactor landfills, recycling and environmental implications of construction and
demolition debris, waste leaching, beneficial use of solid wastes, and special wastes such as
electronic scrap.
Peter Ukstins is the Director of Integrated Construction for James G. Davis Construction. As
Director, Peter delivers leadersliip. guidance, and oversight for the Corporate Quality
Management, Lean Project Delivery, and Sustainability Programs.
Peter works directly with operations to help develop, coach and promote the use of advanced
construction techniques, project delivery methods and project planning. A true details man. and a
DAVIS veteran for close to 20 years, Peter is focused on innovative methods and industry trends
to promote continuous improvement and learning. In 2014, Peter took over complete
responsibility and oversight for sustainable construction at DAVIS. Drawing from liis award-
winning operations experience, Peter is fearless, forward-thinking, and imiovative; liis credo is as
simple as it is successful - at DAVIS we build it right the first time. Every time.
Peter serves as chair for the Lean Construction Institute DC Metro Community of Practice,
President Elect of the Construction Quality Executives Council, and is an active participate with USGBC National Capital
Region.
19

-------
Melissa Wackerle, LEED AP BD+C, ND is Senior Director, Sustainable Practice & Knowledge,
with the American Institute of Architects. She came to the organization in January 2014 with 14
years of experience in the design and construction industry and a master's degree in Sustainability
and Development. Her experience ranges from green building certification management to
enterprise and community consulting. Carbon Disclosure Project reporting, energy and water
efficiency recommendations and green construction practices. Melissa directs programming for the
AIA's Energy and Materials initiatives coordinating with working groups dealing with the 2030
Commitment, Energy Education, and Materials Knowledge.
Tommy Wells is the director of the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). Appointed
January 2015, he is chiefly responsible for protecting the environment and conserving the
natural resources of the District of Columbia. Tommy's team is comprised of approximately 300
environmental professionals collectively working to improve the quality of life for residents and
the natural inhabitants of the Nation's Capital.
Most recently. Tommy served as the DC Councilmember representing Ward 6—a position he
held since 2006. During his time on Council, he garnered broad support for his efforts to make
the District livable and walkable for all. Tommy worked with the City's leadership and. in
particular, residents of Ward 6 to create a shared and respected place where drivers, cyclists,
pedestrians, and exercise enthusiasts can co-exist safely. Known for his neighborhood-focused
development. Tommy championed efforts to ensure availability of public transit, including the
construction of new streetcar lines and the expansion of the DC Circulator. As Chair of the DC
Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment, he worked to double the city's Capital Bikeshare program.
With a career in public service that spans 32 years. Tommy's commitment to District residents-particularly children-is
unwavering. In 1996, he led a successful class action lawsuit, LaShawn v, Barry, to address the city's failure to protect children
in its care. In 1991, he took the helm of the DC Consortium for Cliild Welfare, where he helped to create neighborhood-based
family service collaboratives to coordinate the delivery of city and nonprofit resources to underserved District residents. He
was the architect of a groundbreaking program to match foster families with children affected by HIV/AIDS and he led the
drive to create the DC Family Court.-resulting in a 300 percent increase in the number of foster children adopted into
permanent homes each year.
A passionate innovator and student of cutting edge solutions. Tommy earned his law degree from the Columbus School of Law
at Catholic University in 1991 and a master's degree in social work from the University of Minnesota in 1983. He and his wife,
Barbara, a writer and arts enthusiast, are residents of Ward 6 in the District
Michelle Wyman has worked on energy and environmental policy with states and local
governments for over 15 years. In close consultation with regional and local governments and
their constituencies, she developed strategic and tactical solutions to their energy planning,
climate mitigation, and adaptation challenges.
She previously served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U .S. Department of
Energy (DOE). In that role, Michelle led the Department's engagement activities with state,
regional, and local governments on issues across the DOE complex, including renewable energy,
science, fossil energy, and environmental clean-up.
Michelle's experience prior to joining the Department of Energy includes founding Applied
Solutions- Local Governments Building a Clean Economy, and leading ICLEI USA, both of
w hich are nonprofits engaging directly with cities, counties, and states on clean energy,
enviromnental, and sustainability issues.
Michelle has served in a wide variety of leadership capacities including work with the World Bank, United Nations, and other
multilateral institutions. Michelle lias served as the Natural Resources Director for the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, and
established a public sector practice focused on the environment and sustainable development working with states, local
governments, and related national nonprofits, based in Washington DC.
20

-------
Presented by
oEPA	.
United States	V
Environmental Protection
Agency	WASTE MANAGEMENT
And many thanks to our Planning Partners
The American
AGC of America jy iฎ > KM] institute
I HE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA l_N^3^3!eฃ^	AllOlllU Iw
Building on Experience YEARS	Of ArChlteCtS
CDRAff* ICS# CLOSED
"IM8MH8-"	LO-O P
Pfund
3D
ISRI
Voice of the Recycling Industry "
E CO S

-------