Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. Uncertainty regarding highway spending legislation and government policy related to the debt crisis has caused the PCA cement consumption forecast to be downgraded from a 1.4 percent increase over 2010 figures to 0.2 percent for 2011.
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PCA: Cement Relief Act provides opportunity for thoughtful, appropriate regs
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. In late July, Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) and Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), along with a bipartisan group of their colleagues, introduced the “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011” (H.R. 2681). The legislation requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to re-propose three recent environmental rules directed at the portland cement industry.
Read MoreCemex asset swap helps TXI expand R-M, aggregates presence in central Texas
Sources: Texas Industries, Inc., Dallas; Cemex USA, Houston; CP staff TXI announced that its subsidiary has entered into an asset swap with Cemex USA, in which TXI will acquire the ready mix and aggregate operations of Cemex that serve the Austin metropolitan market. The transaction was finalized July 29 and brings TXI one aggregate and three ready mixed concrete plants.…
Read MoreFive Cemex USA plants receive Energy Star Awards
Source: Cemex USA, Houston Cemex announced recently that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have awarded five of the company’s U.S. cement manufacturing plants the 2011 Energy Star award.
Read MorePCA unveils online learning courses
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. A leader in concrete and cement education for nearly a century, PCA is expanding its educational offerings with the debut of its online learning center.
Read MoreCement Totals-May 2011
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va. Total shipments of portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico were about 6.5 million mt in May 2011, according to the USGS. This was 2.5 percent higher compared with shipments for May 2010. Total shipments for the year through May were approximately 24.8 million mt, about 1.0 percent lower than…
Read MoreEnergy & Environment Award Winners 2011
The Cement Industry Energy & Environment Awards program was created in 2000 by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) as part of its renewed environment and energy strategic plan for the U.S. cement industry. The awards honor activities conducted during the previous calendar year, and the program is open to any cement manufacturing plant in North America.
Read MoreDemand response strengthens sustainability, grid reliability, and profitability
The cement industry is an example of a large electricity consumer that is exploring the benefits of integrated demand response technology that augments payments from traditional capacity with voluntary price-based demand services.
Read MoreBulk cargo handler blankets dust at SEPSA’s Port of Veracruz facility
A high-efficiency stevedoring and bulk cargo distribution center in Mexico has specified a powerful dust suppression technology to maximize productivity and minimize water usage, while protecting workers, the sensitive marine environment, and nearby downtown community. The atomized mist equipment from Dust Control Technology of Peoria, Ill., replaces manual hose spraying techniques, enabling the company to effectively manage both settled dust…
Read MoreArizona’s Drake Cement consummates Peruvian parent’s U.S. entry
Officials of the Southwest’s newest integrated player held a mid-June grand opening for a $300 million, 600,000-plus-mtpy-capacity cement plant in northern Arizona. More than 10 years in the making, Drake Cement is located in Yavapai County, near the historic rail town of Paulden and 35 miles north of Prescott.
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