Geosynthetics June/July 2020 - 41

The GMA government relations
program has been very successful at the
federal level, with a list of congressional
champions. GMA is now leveraging that
success at the state and local levels. The
GMA state and local initiative began in
the fall of 2012. The initial target states
were Tennessee, Ohio and Illinois. GMA
members and lobbyists have been meeting
with state DOTs to promote the AASHTO
audit and printing program. GMA is also
connecting with governors' offices and
road builder associations to promote the
use of geosynthetics. Meetings are also
held with state EPAs to promote GMA's
position regarding coal ash waste.
Ramsey had this to say about GMA
government relations: "GMA needs to
speak with one voice . . . about the benefits of geosynthetics. . . . The engineering
details and specific product advantages can
be, and should be, argued later, after our
government decides to use our materials."
In 2015, Keith Gardner of Crown
Resources became chair of the GMA
executive council. At that time, Jon Curry
became the managing director. Activities
produced successes, and GMA staffed up
by adding Jessica Kivijarvi as GMA assistant in 2017. The state and local initiative
efforts expanded to 25 state visits.
GMA developed a longer list of
congressional champions. In the beginning of the effort, GMA was educating
Congress about the products. But after
750 congressional meetings, GMA was
now active in the development of language in legislation and for the first time
geosynthetics was written into law.
These important bills, passed by
Congress and signed by the president,
include geosynthetics language:
* Water Resources Reform and
Development Act of 2014

* Fixing America's Surface
Transportation (FAST) Act
* Water Infrastructure Improvements
for the Nation (WIIN) Act
* FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018
In 2018 Fred Chuck became chair of
the GMA executive council. Chuck says:
For the past 15 years, GMA has consistently voiced an industry-unified
voice in our dealings with Congress in
D.C., state and local visits, and regulatory agencies around North America.
These efforts have brought us to a
position where instead of GMA asking for language to be included in
various authorization bills, several
congressional offices are now asking GMA members for language to
include in appropriations for specific
funding. GMA's lobbying offers the
possibility of expanding the inclusion
of geosynthetics into undergraduate curriculum, providing industrycentric research funding and opening the doors to expanding the use of
geosynthetics by more of the agencies.

>> For more, search GMA at
www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com.

Education and government relations
will continue to be the focus of GMA's
activities. All but a few manufacturers
are members of GMA. GMA developed
a program for distributors, and today a
third of the members are distributors of
geosynthetics. Membership also includes
testing firms and equipment manufacturers. GMA has strong relationships with the
Geosynthetic Institute, the International
Geosynthetics Society (IGS), the Fabricated
Geomembrane Institute (FGI) and IGS
North America (IGS-NA), and often invites
those organizations to participate in GMA
Lobby Day to present a united front as we
educate Congress and federal agencies. G
www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com

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Geosynthetics June/July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics June/July 2020