Displaying items by tag: EPA

US: Heidelberg Materials has won negotiation for up to US$5m in funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a web-based tool for cement facilities to produce Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). The funding is part of the EPA’s grant initiative to report and reduce emissions from the manufacture of construction materials, which awarded nearly US$160m to 38 recipients nationally.

US: Holcim US in Missouri will receive US$1.37m from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act to support the reduction of climate pollution in manufacturing construction materials, as announced by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The grant is part of a broader effort to reduce emissions from the manufacturing industry and will aid Holcim's Environmental Product Declaration Accelerator Project.

EPA Region 7 Administrator, Meg McCollister, said "We commend Holcim for its work in advancing sustainable practices to reduce carbon emissions here in the Heartland and across our nation. Its innovative approach, supported by this grant, advances climate-friendly practices and sustainability in one of our nation's most important industries."

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA)’s Environment and Energy Committee met in Tampa, Florida, to discuss the formation of a new coalition with other industry bodies under the leadership of the US Chamber of Commerce. The PCA said the coalition will take legal action against the US government, following the Environmental Protection Association (EPA)'s introduction of new, lower particulates emissions standards. The association says that the revised standards may lead to layoffs and lower cement and concrete production.

Other items on the agenda for the committee’s biannual meeting include permitting and regulatory reform for carbon capture, utilisation and storage and alternative fuels for cement production.

US: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that 10 cements plants have received its Energy Star certification in 2022 from a total of 86 manufacturing plants across all industries. The certification is awarded to the top 25% performers in energy efficiency in each sector. The EPA cited examples of how Titan America’s Troutville plant in Virginia and its Medley plant in Florida had converted production to Portland Limestone Cement (PLC), and achieved a 12% reduction in electricity use and an 18% reduction in CO2 emissions, respectively, thanks to improved energy management. It also mentioned Cemex’s Miami plant in Florida, which increased its energy performance in 2022 by modifying a finish mill, optimising the ball charge on the largest mill and identifying and correcting potential energy losses while also increasing the production of PLC.

Cement plants awarded the Energy Star certification in 2022 include: Drake Cement’s Paulden plant and Salt River Materials Group’ Clarkdale plant in Arizona; GCC’s Pueblo plant in Colorado, Cemex’s Miami plant and Titan America’s Medley plant in Florida; Argos USA’s Harleyville plant in South Carolina; GCC’s Rapid City plant in South Dakota; Buzzi Unicem USA’s Chattanooga plant in Tennessee; Titan America’s Troutville plant in Virginia; and Ash Grove Cement’s Seattle plant in Washington.

US: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded its 2020 Energy Star® certification to Buzzi Unicem USA plants in Chattanooga, Tennessee and in Festus, Missouri. This certification is awarded to a facility for superior energy performance in comparison to similar plants. This marks the 12th consecutive year that the Chattanooga and Festus plants have received certification.

In order to qualify for Energy Star® recognition, cement plants must score at least 75 on the Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) system used by the EPA to measure energy efficiency. In addition, the plant must have a satisfactory environmental compliance record for the past three years. Receipt of the Energy Star certification means these two plants perform in the top 25% of similar facilities in the US.

US: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded Energy Star certification to Japan-based Taiheiyo Cement subsidiary CalPortland’s 1.3Mt/yr integrated Rillito plant for the eighth consecutive year for its superior energy performance compared with other plants of comparable capacity in the country. CalPortland president and CEO Allen Hamblen said, “We continue to demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship and ENERGY STAR while also reducing our energy costs through the hard work of our employees and our corporate energy management culture.”

Puerto Rico: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that Cemex de Puerto Rico will spend US$1.7m on pollution controls that will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. In addition, the company will pay a US$160,000 penalty for Clean Air Act violations.

"Nitrogen oxides emissions can lead to a number of serious health and environmental problems, including respiratory problems, heart disease and smog," said Judith A Enck, EPA regional administrator. "The EPA settlement protects children with asthma and other vulnerable populations from harmful air pollution by requiring that Cemex install state-of-the-art technology and take immediate steps to reduce pollutants."

The Cemex cement kiln system in Ponce has operated for over 20 years and is a major source of nitrogen oxide emissions. The settlement addresses modifications Cemex made to its cement plant without obtaining the proper permit, as required by the Clean Air Act. Businesses that produce large quantities of air pollution are required to obtain permits and install pollution control technology before making changes that would significantly increase emissions.

Following an EPA inspection, Cemex conducted a smokestack test at its Ponce facility and potential violations were discovered. In the settlement, Cemex will install control technology, which will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by approximately 1423t/yr.

US: Holcim (US), part of LafargeHolcim, has announced that five of its plants earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) prestigious Energy Star.

"We are pleased that the EPA has recognised Holcim's continued commitment to environmentally sound practices by awarding five of our plants with the Energy Star Award," said John Stull, chief executive officer of Holcim (US). "Sustainability is a core component of our values and a priority for our employees at every plant and facility."

This marks the fourth time Holcim's Portland plant in Florence, Colorado and the Midlothian plant in Midlothian, Texas have received the award, while the Devil's Slide plant in Morgan, Utah has been honoured for its eight consecutive year. The Holly Hill plant in Holly Hill, South Carolina and the Ste. Genevieve plant in Bloomsdale, Missouri are both receiving the award for the sixth time.

US: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the first national regulations to provide for the safe disposal of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. The ruling establishes safeguards to protect communities from coal ash impoundment failures and establishes safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination and air emissions from coal ash disposal.

"The EPA is taking action to protect our communities from the risk of mismanaged coal ash disposal units and putting in place safeguards to help prevent the next catastrophic coal ash impoundment failure, which can cost millions for local businesses, communities and States," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.

The new federal regulations include:

• The closure of surface impoundments and landfills that fail to meet engineering and structural standards and will no longer receive coal ash;
• Reducing the risk of catastrophic failure by requiring regular inspections of the structural safety of surface impoundments;
• Restrictions on the location of new surface impoundments and landfills so that they cannot be built in sensitive areas such as wetlands and earthquake zones;
• Protecting groundwater by requiring monitoring, immediate clean up of contamination and closure of unlined surface impoundments that are polluting groundwater;
• Protecting communities using fugitive dust controls to reduce windblown coal ash dust;
• Requiring liner barriers for new units and proper closure of surface impoundments and landfills that will no longer receive coal combustion residues.

In response to feedback on the proposal, the ruling clarifies the technical requirements for coal ash landfills and surface impoundments under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the country's primary law for regulating solid waste. Implementation of the technical requirements will be reported through disclosure to States, and communities. Examples of this include power plants providing information to the public and States and new transparency requirements, including recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as well as the requirement for each facility to post specific information to a publicly-accessible website. This final rule also supports the responsible recycling of coal ash by distinguishing safe, beneficial use from disposal.

US: Holcim (US) Inc has announced that four of its plants earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) prestigious Energy Star award.

"Holcim is grateful to, once again, be awarded for our commitment to sustainability," said Filiberto Ruiz, president and CEO of Holcim (US) and Aggregate Industries US. "We understand how important it is for our facilities to have corporate values in place that help protect the environment and we recognise that this should be a priority each and every day."

This marks the third time that Holcim's Midlothian plant in Midlothian, Texas has received the award, while the Devil's Slide plant in Morgan, Utah has been honoured for its seventh consecutive year. The Holly Hill plant in Holly Hill, South Carolina and the St Genevieve plant in Bloomsdale, Missouri have both received the award for the fifth time.