Roanoke Cement Co. was formally recognized as an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise (E3) within the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program (VEEP) last month. VEEP was established in 2000 to encourage superior environmental performance by encouraging facilities and organizations within the Commonwealth – that have strong, established environmental records – to go above and beyond what is environmentally required by regulations and establish even better benchmarks of performance.
RCC’s acceptance as an E3 participant is defined in the context of a facility as opposed to an organization, agency or government. The facility-based track promotes the use of environmental management systems (EMS) and pollution prevention to help minimize environmental impact of operations. RCC has implemented Envirolis, an EMS system that ensures all regulatory requirements are met on time. RCC has implemented Envirolis, an EMS system that ensures all regulatory requirements are met on time. The E3 certification included several audits and visits to the site by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, including a full day with DEQ’s Pollution Prevention team touring and auditing the facility in June.
The Exemplary Environmental Enterprise certification is the latest in environmental recognition for RCC. For the past seven years, RCC has been awarded an Energy Star by the E.P.A. For the past two years, the Troutville plant was the winner of Portland Cement Association’s Cement Industry Energy and Environment “Outreach” Award. The Wildlife Habitat Council also certified the site.
