Environment

Sustainability is at the core of the aluminum industry. Aluminum producers recognize that regulations should balance promoting economic growth and protecting our environment. The aluminum industry supports the life cycle assessment approach to research that tracks the impact of a product in all stages of its life – from raw material extraction, to production, use and disposal or recycling. Measures to protect environmental quality should address an identified need; be based on facts, credible science and least cost means of implementation; and take a risk management approach with due regard for total impacts on employment, energy used, resources, and other social and economic concerns.

Policy Objectives:

• Fuel economy standards that recognize the benefits of vehicle light-weighting as a safe and affordable option for automakers seeking to develop the next generation of fuel-efficient, high-performance cars and trucks. To boost miles-per-gallon (MPG), extend electric vehicle (EV) coverage and cut carbon emissions, heavier vehicles – from midsize on up to full-size trucks – can and should take a multi-material approach to reduce weight safely.
• Reforms to the New Source Review (NSR) air emissions permitting program to increase transparency and reduce barriers to expanding operations or initiating new facilities.
• Implementation of revisions to the aluminum water quality criteria, as carried out under the Clean Water Act, that reflect the current knowledge of how aluminum behaves in water and is measured to best correlate with toxicity.
• Chemical reporting requirements that reduce complexity and ensure that reporting occurs at the point of raw materials import. The regulation of toxic substances should protect health and the environment while avoiding unnecessary adverse economic impacts.
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) based on sound science, and compliance standards that comply with the Clean Air Act mandate to be requisite (neither too stringent nor too lenient) to protect human health.
• Carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) management approaches that recognize and account for the challenges faced by Energy Intensive Trade Exposed Industries (EITEs) such as aluminum, as well as life cycle analysis.
• Public and private investments that advance research, development and deployment of new technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.