Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Belgard permeable pavers qualify projects for EPA grants

Words: David Benincasa/Public/News/20120111130500-1.jpg" width="600" height="338" border="0" alt="Belgard® Hardscapes' permeable pavers qualify projects for EPA grants totaling up to $3.8 million." />
Belgard® Hardscapes' permeable pavers qualify projects for EPA grants totaling up to $3.8 million.
Belgard® Hardscapes' permeable pavers may help qualify projects for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) new Urban Waters Small Grants program.

The Urban Waters Small Grants program will award between $1.8 million - $3.8 million in funding during 2012 for research, studies, training, and demonstration projects with the intent to improve water quality and revitalize communities. The deadline for grant applications is January 23.

"This grant offers a tremendous opportunity for those in the building and design community to create sustainable projects, something we strongly value at Belgard," said Chuck Taylor, commercial & permeable pavers expert for Belgard Hardscapes, whose sustainability education and support tools include an online technical resource center www.belgarddesignpro.com as well as regular webinars such as the December 16th "Sustainable Sites & Permeable Paving Systems."

"We are always working to help builders and landscape architects find solutions that incorporate sustainability into their projects, and we're excited that our permeable pavers qualify for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) new Urban Waters Small Grants program," Taylor said.

The goal of the new EPA grant program is to improve water quality, which also helps support community revitalization and other local priorities such as public health, social and economic opportunities, general livability and environmental justice for residents.

As more land is developed, the natural water filtration provided by the soil is continually being diminished. In turn, stormwater runoff - mixed with motor oil, fertilizers, and other contaminants - can pollute lakes, rivers, coastlines, and groundwater. As part of a bio-aquifer stormwater system, Belgard environmental permeable pavers can virtually eliminate runoff, potentially removing the need for retention ponds or underground sewer pipes.

Belgard permeable paver benefits:
  • Reduces pollution from rainwater runoff
  • Reduces runoff from the common rainstorm by as much as 100%
  • 50 year life-cycle for surface
  • Outperforms similar systems in harsh climates or freeze thaw cycles
  • Replaces detention/retention ponds
The deadline for submitting proposals to EPA is January 23, 2012. For more informationon the EPA Urban Waters Small Grant, visit www.epa.gov/urbanwaters.
 0
PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Greg Brown
Safety Library
Read More
Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Why "The Software Can't Track That" Is Finally Going Away
August 2026

For as long as specialty contractors have used field software, most of them have kept a workaround somewhere: a spreadsheet on a foreman's laptop, a whiteboard in the trailer, or a text thread where crew leads send block counts at the end of the day becau

Erin Koets
Build Smart
MAP Partner
Read More
Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin

Cass Stern
American Treasure
Brick Clay Brick
Read More