Bridgesource, a subsidiary of the Clyde Companies, held a public meeting late last month about a proposed cement plant on the Lewis Ranch property in Moapa Valley, Nev.
Local media reported that the discussion focused on the proposed rezoning of 384 acres of private land recently acquired by the company. The land currently encompasses five large parcels and is zoned with Agricultural and Residential designations. Bridgesource is seeking to change the zoning to Heavy Industrial.
“There have been chronic shortages of cement powder for a number of years up and down the I-15 corridor, particularly in Utah and southern Idaho,” Merrill Squire, Bridgesource director of project development for cement explained. “Those shortages have been made up primarily through foreign imports. But we want to be in control of our own destiny and to see that kind of production be done domestically.”
According to Bridgesource officials, only one-third of the roughly 96 cement plants in operation in the United States reside in the Western states.
Squire told attendees that the site had all the critical items needed for a cement plant: high-grade limestone deposits, nearby infrastructure, a source for natural gas, and groundwater accessibility. “That is extremely rare. There are lots of places that have one or two of those things but not all of them. If you don’t have all of them, you probably won’t be successful in the project. But if you’ve got them, then somebody is building a cement plant here. There is a reason why multiple cement companies keep looking here. This is really very rare.”
In addition to the proposed cement plant, Bridgesource is also seeking to open a limestone quarry to supply the plant. The company anticipates the proposed projects would be an economic asset to the community, bringing in 150-200 full-time jobs.
