Displaying items by tag: Public

India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) plans to expand its cement plant in Mylavaram, Andhra Pradesh. The producer will invest US$321m to to more than double the plant’s clinker capacity from 4.6Mt/yr to 12.6Mt/yr, its cement grinding capacity from 2.6Mt/yr to 7.6Mt/yr and its waste heat recovery capacity from 12MW to 28MW.

The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board will hold a public hearing on 27 March 2025 over the plans, the New Indian Express newspaper has reported. Local residents have raised allegedly ‘unaddressed’ issues, including disruptions to watercourses, increased dust pollution and possible structural damage from increased blasting.

India: Residents near the proposed cement plant site in Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur district, are holding a public hearing on 11 September 2024, disputing the legitimacy of a previous meeting held by the Punjab Pollution Control Board and local authorities on 19 January 2024. The Vatavarn Bachao Sangharash Committee, representing 24 villages, claims the initial hearing was manipulated and poorly attended by local villagers.

Convener Tarsem Singh said "Three villages - Naryala, Sardullapur and Badhoaan - are in the immediate vicinity of the proposed plant. Around 30 villages are in its 5km radius. Representatives from these villages have already been holding meetings for eight months after we came to know about the proposal. We have also been sending representatives to authorities. Now our teams are visiting these villages daily to mobilise wider public participation, so that people can express their views."

Canada: Ash Grove Mississauga cement plant has entered a proposal with the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks to burn alternative fuels. This includes materials such as construction and demolition materials, paper fibre, wood, plastic and industrial rubber, according to the Insauga newspaper. Local residents have expressed concerns about potential toxicity and environmental impacts due to emissions from the plant entering the atmosphere. The association reportedly objected to a previous application allowing higher emissions levels at the plant. Ash Grove will address these concerns in a public meeting scheduled for 12 September 2024.

Vietnam: The government has directed state-owned businesses, including Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (Vicem), to take measures to mitigate potential losses of state assets in construction. The Vietnam Investment Review newspaper has reported that a recent audit concluded that companies' equitisation processes created scope for such losses within the sector.

Australia: The government plans to reform its CO₂ emissions Safeguard Mechanism in line with its stated goal of net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. Under the latest proposals, 215 industrial plants, including Australia's cement plants, will have to reduce their CO₂ emissions by 4.9% year-on-year every year until 2030. The Australian newspaper has reported that the government is currently receiving submissions on the proposed reform as part of its consultation process, which will end on 24 February 2023.

The Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group have encouraged the government to introduce an adjustment mechanism for imports, based on the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), in conjunction with any tightening of the Safeguard Mechanism.

Australia: The Australian government’s Department of Climate Change is receiving public comments on Cement Australia subsidiary Cornwall Coal’s plans to open a new coal mine in Tasmania’s Fingal Valley, near St Mary’s. Local press has reported that the proposed site will operate across three open pits, with a total area of 26ha. The mine will replace the company’s nearby Cullenswood coal mine when it runs out of coal later in 2023, and will operate until 2026 or 2027. Cornwall Coal’s Tasmanian operations currently supply coal for Cement Australia’s Railton cement plant, as well as other local industrial sites.

Under Cornwall Coal’s proposals, the company will build travel culverts for local wildlife, and assist in relocating animals currently occupying the site. Tasmanian devils and two species of quoll – all endangered – live on the land in question.

Mick Tucker, head of Break O’Day Municipality Council, said that the municipality currently depends on Cornwall Coal’s operations for 60 – 80 jobs. He said that the company’s plans have strong support in the local community.

India: A violent disturbance brought an end to a public hearing over ACC's plans to establish a new integrated cement plant in Masturi, Chhattisgarh, on 3 November 2022. Police reportedly used 'mild force' to subdue protestors who claimed that ACC has acted illegally. The Free Press Journal has reported that land recorded by ACC as 'barren' in document submissions is allegedly used by residents for cultivation of rice and other crops.

Limestone mining has already commenced at the Masturi site.

US: The Board of County Commissioners of Boulder, Colorado, has denied Cemex USA’s application for a 15-year extension to its Dowe Flats quarry mining licence, following its expiry on 30 September 2022. Commissioner Claire Levy cited dust, traffic, noise and disturbances to wildlife as reasons behind the decision.

Cemex USA’s nearby Lyons cement plant has previously relied on the quarry for the supply of 760,000t/yr of limestone.

Canada: The Canadian government’s Environment and Climate Change department has granted an extension to St Mary’s Cement to an order regarding alleged sticky dust emissions from its McInnis cement plant. The Journal de Québec newspaper has reported that the producer now has until 8 August 2022 to submit its observations on the situation. Environment and Climate Change Canada has identified 12 different equipment failures as contributors to the alleged illegal emissions. On 20 July 2022, it had received a total of 80 reports from the public about the situation.

US: The Nevada Department of Transportation has approved the use of Portland limestone cement (PLC) for road construction and repairs. The department expects the move to reduce CO₂ emissions by 4000t/yr. It uses 45,000t/yr of cement in its projects. Local press has reported that transport contributed 35% of Nevada’s CO₂ emissions in 2022, making it the largest single source.