Sources: Ceratech Inc., Alexandria, Va.; Staff reports Only three months after announcing that third-largest coal producer Alpha Natural Resources had acquired a 10.3 percent of its business (with an option to increase the stake to 28.3 under certain future terms), Ceratech has accepted another strategic equity investment from Colombian cement giant Cementos Argos, the fourth-largest U.S. concrete producer. The buy-in…
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$225K EPA grant moves recycled glass cement substitute toward market
Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Staff reports On the heels of research detailed in its “Value-Added Use of Milled Mixed-Color Waste Glass as a Supplementary Cementitious Material in Environmentally Friendly and Energy-Efficient Concrete Building Construction” report, Lansing, Mich.-based Technova Corp. is among 10 recipients sharing $2.25 million in grants under the EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Read MoreNew edition of Innovations in Portland Cement Manufacturing addresses today’s challenges
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. The new edition of Innovations in Portland Cement Manufacturing was released during the 2011 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference, May 22-25, in St. Louis, Mo. The fully revised second edition highlights the complex challenges facing cement manufacturers in today’s regulatory and manufacturing arenas.
Read MoreBuzzi Unicem plants receive Energy Star honor
Source: Buzzi Unicem USA, Bethlehem, Pa. Buzzi Unicem USA recently announced that the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy have awarded three of the company’s U.S. cement plants the Energy Star designation for their superior energy performance. Buzzi’s plants in Festus, Mo., Maryneal, Texas, and Signal Mountain, Tenn., received the honor.
Read MoreEconomic study details cumulative impact of cement industry regulations
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 MorePCA: 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…
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