Titan Achieves Energy Star at Four Cement Terminals

Titan America LLC, a heavy building materials producer in the United States, recently announced the fact that four of its distribution terminals have achieved the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry.  The four sites include: Castle Hayne, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Front Royal, Virginia; and Chesapeake, Virginia.

The challenge is a call to action [...]

CO2 emissions a good thing?

Among other emissions, Carbon dioxide is a headache for many cement producers.  Finding the right balance between environmental-responsibility and financial-stability is difficult.  For industrial plants shifting towards carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), economic performance suffers due to the high cost of installing and running the necessary equipment.  However, a way of offsetting those costs is now in development at Sandia [...]

Possible Relief for Cement Sector?

Is relief is on the horizon for the cement industry?  Recently, two representatives introduced a bill titled “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011.”  If passed, this legislation will require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to re-propose three rules aimed at the portland cement industry.  These rules were targeting the solid waste incineration initiatives started by [...]

Lafarge Faces Resistance in Environmental Push in Tulsa

A Lafarge plant near Tulsa, Oklahoma, is facing last minute resistance to the planned installation of a fuel quality waste (FQW) storage system.  Tulsa city Councilman Roscoe Turner and environmental group LEAD (Local Environmental Action Demanded) have begun openly opposing the plant’s efforts.

Lafarge desires to install a series of tanks to utilize forty-eight million gallons of [...]

Cap and Trade Arrives in Quebec

Earlier this week, the government of Quebec announced its voluntary implementation of a cap and trade system that takes effect in 2012.  Environment Minister Pierre Arcand announced the plan on Wednesday amid praise from environmentalist groups.  Quebec is third in a series of Canadian provinces and American states to enact a regional system instead of waiting [...]

Lafarge Sets New CO2 Emission Goals

Cement industry giant Lafarge announced on Thursday a set of new goals in order to continue its agenda of reducing CO2 emissions.  The goals are divided into two main areas: straight emissions reductions and a sustainable construction development.

In developing the first goal category, Lafarge worked within a framework developed in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund [...]

Ethiopia Cement Boom

Ethiopia is in the news for its upcoming advance in concrete production.  In the past, Ethiopia has imported about one million tons annually, an eighth of its approximate total demand.  However, by the end of 2012 the country should be able to more than meet its own cement demand.  Plentiful limestone deposits are present across the [...]

Titan Cement Caught in the Crossfire

The Titan Cement plant of Castle Hayne, NC is taking quite a hit from the residents of that area.  What began three years ago as a fight against Titan’s acquisition of and subsequent building permits for the land has continued as a battle to shut down the newly operating plant.  With an organized force (http://stoptitan.org/), the [...]

Cement Demand to Increase with Rebuilding of Infrastructure

With America’s infrastructure crumbling and the economy still struggling to recover from its nosedive, a game of passing the buck has begun.  The federal government has no money to foot the enormous bill of rebuilding and expanding roads, bridges, water and waste treatments systems, etc.  Just recently a group of senators has drafted a bill that [...]

Residents in Jordan Oppose Alternative Fuel Proposal

Residents of the Jordanian town of Qadisiyah are actively demonstrating against the Rashadiyeh cement factory, an affiliate of Lafarge, which plans to burn tires and oil shale to supplement its fossil fuel program.

The villagers are concerned over the potential health and environmental concerns that the new fuel will pose.  After demonstrating for an hour or so, [...]