Displaying items by tag: Environment

Pakistan: The Environment Protection Department (EPD) issued notices to eight cement factories across the Punjab region during the week ending 3 August 2012 for failing to install devices to mitigate dust pollution levels.

The notices were served under Section 12 and Section 16 of the Punjab Environment Protection Act 2012 after a month-long survey. This was initiated after three cement factories in Chakwal, DG Khan Cements, Bestway Cements and Pakistan Cements, were found not to be using electrostatic precipitators (EP), air bags and other devices, despite having installed power generators to keep them operational.

Dandoot Cement Factory in Jhelum, Gharibwal Cements in Chakwal, Maple Leaf Cements in Mianwali and Pioneer in Khushaab have also been issued notices for not installing EPs. Fauji Cements in Attock has been issued a notice for mishandling raw materials. Bestway Cement was also given a notice for drawing too much water from communal wells. A case involving Flying Cements was forwarded to the Environment Tribunal after the factory management did not respond to several notices issued for not taking any measures to mitigate its dust emissions.

EPD spokesman Naseemur Rahman Shah said that the only way these factories could mitigate dust emissions was to install their own power plants so that EPs were not reliant on external power sources. EPs can trip out when external power provisions fail, even for a short while, and can take up to 20 minutes to restart operation.

Canada: Politicians and community leaders were on hand yesterday to celebrate the fact that St Marys Cement's Bowmanville Plant has received North America's first International Organisation for Standardisation's (ISO) ISO 50001 certification.

Erik Madsen, CEO of St Marys Cement Inc. accepted the certificate at a ceremony at the plant. The award presentation was made by Michael Delisle, CEO of International Certification Services Inc. (ICS). Although the ceremony was official recognition of the plant had achieved certification the company was officially registered as the first North American recipient of ISO 50001 on 15 November 2011.

Upon receiving the Certificate, Madsen observed, "St Marys identified the benefits and embraced the certification process early. The ISO 50001 programme and cement plants are a logical fit. Our Bowmanville plant has a rated capacity of over 1.8Mt/yr of product, operates 24/7 and consumes significant amounts of energy. Managing these energy costs is a no brainer. it is good for the environment and our bottom line."

Fabio Garcia, Operations Manager at the Bowmanville Plant, told ceremony attendees, "Receiving this prestigious certification was not something that happened overnight. The origins of this certification can be traced back to 2005 when we were given the green light by senior management to move forward with an integrated strategy to reduce the plant's energy consumption.  This quickly became an initiative supported and made possible by all of our employees."

CEO Madsen concluded, "The  commitment to energy conservation, and the continual desire to improve processes by the entire staff at our Bowmanville plant,  is the reason that this is the first North American site to receive ISO 50001 certification. The energy conservation elements of ISO 50001 certification means we are on track for over US$1m in savings in 2012 alone.  I want to thank each and every one of our employees, who helped to make this possible."

China: China's environment ministry is planning to launch stricter rules regarding nitrogen oxide emissions from cement plants, according to local press. An industry expert said that the policy change could wipe out a third of the industry's total net profits.

The report illustrates the challenges faced by the government to balance pressures for strong economic growth with public demands to lessen pollutants caused by industries that currently operate with few environmental restrictions. China had previously said that it planned to cut the cement industry's overall nitrogen oxide emissions, a key cause of acid rain and photochemical smog, by 10% by 2015.

Chinese Vice Minister of Environment Protection, Zhang Lijun, during a visit to the Anhui Conch Cement Company in January 2012, told accompanying officials and executives that the ministry plans to introduce stricter rules.

Kong Xiangzhong, the president of China's cement industry association, said that the ministry is considering tightening nitrogen oxide emission standards to 400mg/m³ from the current 800mg/m³. "It will translate into huge pressure for the cement industry," Kong was quoted as saying.

China's cement industry, polluting but profitable, has thrived during China's infrastructure spending spree. Anhui Conch, for instance, announced that its 2011 net profit is expected to be at least 80% higher than in 2010. China is the world's largest cement producer, with some 3000 plants producing 2Bt/yr. Beijing announced earlier that it wants to shut at least a third of the country's least efficient cement plants by 2015.

US: Four Roanoke Cement Company distribution terminals have achieved the US Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Challenge for Industry, which recognises plants that demonstrate a commitment to the environment by achieving a 10% reduction in energy intensity within five or fewer years.

"This achievement was the result of a supreme team effort," said Don Ingerson, VP of Cement and Aggregates, Sales and Marketing at Roanoke Cement, "The focus on reducing energy by each and every one of our people at the terminals is an excellent example of our commitment to continuous improvement. With that, our energy management knowledge continues to grow as we share it with our customers and our community."

The recognised operations include terminals in Richmond, Front Royal and Chesapeake (all in Virginia) and Castle Hayne, North Carolina. The average energy intensity reduction for all four terminals was 21.76%. "We are proud that these four facilities are the first to be awarded among the cement sector," stated Steven Drzymala, Energy Systems Engineer with Titan's Corporate Engineering Department. "This is a great achievement."