Geosynthetics February/March 2022 - 11

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'It really is a strange, crazy time'
The Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) fall Lobby Day 2021 in Washington, D.C., marked
the first in-person meetings with geosynthetics industry and congressional leaders since fall 2019.
By Todd R. Berger
T
hat's how Martin Whitmer Jr., founding partner with Whitmer & Worrall LLC, described the
timing (Oct. 19-20, 2021) of the first in-person Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA)
Lobby Day since the pandemic began, a time when not a lot of face-to-face meetings were happening
on Capitol Hill. With the citywide indoor mask mandate in the District of Columbia and
the politics of the time focused on infrastructure, it was apparent to
attendees that this would be unlike any GMA Lobby Day of the past.
Eleven industry leaders (John Bolton, Tensar International Corp.;
Keith Gardner, Dalco Nonwovens LLC; Bryan Gee, Tensar; Nathan Ivy,
AGRU America Inc.; John Lostumbo, TenCate Geosynthetics Americas;
Sachin Mandavkar, Maccaferri Inc.; Adam Maskal, Solmax; Keith
Misukanis, Berry Global Inc./TYPAR; Flavio Montez, HUESKER Inc.;
Noah Nichols, Propex; and Aaron Smith, Maccaferri Inc.) participated
in the meetings with representatives, senators and their staffs. Also
present were Whitmer, Tom Worrall, Gabe Pellathy, Angela Acampora,
Lindsay Bencick and Natasha Epperly of Whitmer & Worrall, as well
as Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) employees Fred
Chuck of GMA and me. The meetings included direct virtual or inperson
conversations with legislators and legislative staff from states
across the country, representing both Democrats and Republicans.
Top on the agenda was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (IIJA), passed by the Senate and then under consideration in the
House. Specifically, GMA attendees expressed support and offered
help with two sections of the act: Section 13006, about research and technology development and
deployment, and Section 13009, about transportation resilience and adaptation centers of excellence.
Both sections provide funding for innovative construction technology, opportunities that attendees
stressed were perfect for geosynthetics. In addition, attendees advocated for a $54 billion investment
for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in the IIJA. The House passed the act Nov. 5, 2021;
President Joe Biden signed it into law on Nov. 15; and all this language was included in the bill.
GMA asked the legislators for help with scheduling meetings in their states to support GMA's
state and local advocacy efforts. To date, GMA has visited 26 states to champion the use of geosynthetics
with governors' offices, departments of transportation and natural resources departments.
GMA's efforts on the federal level have resulted in geosynthetics language in the Water Resources
Development Act (2020), the FAA Reauthorization Act (2019) and the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation (FAST) Act (2015).
Although GMA received a warm welcome from most legislators, some legislators and staffers
heard about geosynthetics for the first time. Whereas tangible benefits of the meetings could not be
calculated right after Lobby Day, the industry leaders knew they were carefully laying the groundwork
for increased federal government interest in the use of geosynthetics.
www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com
11
L to R: Keith Misukanis, Berry
Global; Fred Chuck, GMA; Rep.
Dustin " Dusty " Johnson, R-S.D.;
Sachin Mandavkar, Maccaferri
Inc.; Adam Maskal, Solmax.
Photograph by Gabe Pellathy,
Principal, Whitmer & Worrall

http://www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com

Geosynthetics February/March 2022

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