The U.S. cement industry–already one of the most heavily regulated in the country–is currently facing no fewer than seven different existing or proposed EPA regulatory standards that, cumulatively, will severely hamper the industry and the economy for minimal environmental benefit. A study, released by the Portland Cement Association (PCA), examines the cumulative impact of these regulations on the U.S. cement,…
Read MoreMonth: May 2011
PCA: Regs threaten repeat of oil import model in cement
In testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Portland Cement Association Chairman and Titan America CEO Aris Papadopoulos appealed for replacement of onerous regulations covering cement production with policies that promote job growth, investment certainty and responsible environmental stewardship. Subcommittee on Energy and Power Chair Ed Whitfield (R-KY) called to assess the impact of recent Environmental Protection…
Read MoreCalPortland earns 7th straight Energy Star Award
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded CalPortland Company a 2011 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency. CalPortland’s accomplishments were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 12.
Read MoreMonierLifetile deploys photocatalytic cement in smog-wise profile on single-family prototypes
Boral Roofing has turned to titanium dioxide-dosed cement for Smog-Eating Tile, the latest addition to concrete offerings under the MonierLifetile brand. The specialty cement’s photocatalytic properties speed up oxidation of pollutants and contaminants deposited on concrete surfaces. Smog-Eating Tiles are molded with a base and face mixes, the latter bearing the performance powder.
Read MoreSafety, carbon benchmarks strengthen Cemex sustainable development audit
In its 2010 Sustainable Development Report, covering global concrete, cement and aggregate production, Monterrey, Mexico-based Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., cites significant progress in key performance indicators relating to workplace safety, environment and climate change, biodiversity and wilderness preservation, and contribution to local communities.
Read MoreHolcim to pay $50,000 for unpermitted discharges at Devil’s Slide Quarry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Holcim (US), Inc. have entered into a consent agreement in which Holcim will pay a $50,000 penalty for unpermitted discharges to the Weber River at the Devil’s Slide Quarry in Morgan, Utah. The agreement resolves an EPA complaint alleging that runoff from the quarry entered the river without a required Clean Water Act…
Read MoreEPA lauds Roanoke role in RM customers’ energy cuts
Through 3,000-plus hours of technical assistance and energy management training last year, Roanoke Cement Co.’s Plant A Star program saw staff position a group of ready mixed concrete customers to reduce plants’ electricity consumption by an estimated 15 %.
Read MoreEnvironmentalists move to nix fly ash From LEED point consideration
Environmentalists’ latest weapon to undermine the use of coal in power generation follows a curious trajectory: The U.S. Green Building Council’s public comment process for LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] rating system revisions. A group comprising federal and state environmental and law enforcement agency officials, PEER contends that construction-grade–the most widely used coal combustion residual (CCR)–should not qualify…
Read More‘Carbon emissions free’ cement targeted to meet green construction materials demand
Mexico’s Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., announced that consolidated net sales increased 1% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to $3.5 billion and decreased 3% for the full year to $14.1 billion, versus the comparable periods in 2009. Operating EBITDA increased 2% in the fourth quarter of 2010 to $482 million and decreased 13% for the full year to $2.3 billion.
Read MoreAsh Grove gets closure on Texas wet-kiln-cement refusal
Almost two years after Ash Grove filed a federal lawsuit against Dallas’s refusal to buy its wet-kiln-made cement as a violation of the state’s competitive bidding laws, Dallas and Arlington, the only two parties who kept fighting Ash Grove in federal court, have negotiated a proposed settlement that will bring the litigation to a close. Dallas was one of the…
Read More