Nigeria: David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi state, has approved plans to set-up the Ebonyi Cement plant (Ebocem) at Ogboto in Ishielu. The local government will hold a 10% stake in the project, according to the Nigerian Tribune newspaper.

US: Eagle Materials are started a strategic review of its portfolio of businesses including heavy materials, light materials, and oil and gas proppants. It says it commissioned the review, “…following consultation and input from the company's largest shareholders.” During the process it will consider options, including divesting businesses.

Armenia: Tigran Khachatryan, the Minister of Economic Development and Investments, says that the government is considering adding clinker to a list of goods subject to import duties. A tariff of around Euro40/t could be introduced for a year until April 2020, according to the ARMINFO News Agency. This would be similar to proposed duties on imported cement.

The measures are intended to protect local cement production. Khachatryan noted that imports from Iran could be up to a third of the price of locally manufactured cement due to cheaper energy supplies and state subsidies.

US: Lehigh Cement and Argos USA have agreed to pay a US$1.5m fine for alleged Clean Air Act violations at the Martinsburg cement plant in West Virginia. Argos has owned the plant since December 2016 and Lehigh Cement was the previous owner. The violations occurred from 2013 to 2016. Neither Lehigh Cement nor Argos USA admitted liability for the alleged violations as part of the settlement.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited the companies for various Clean Air Act violations based on responses to EPA information requests and data collected and reported under the plant’s permit. These included exceeding particulate matter emissions, non-compliance with opacity testing, failing to comply with requirements for operating a kiln with dioxin/furan emission limits, failing to perform required stack testing on a kiln’s exhaust in a timely manner and other violations.