Holcim (US)'s Midlothian, Texas, plant has achieved an important safety milestone by operating for more than 1,000 days and 1 million hours without a single lost-time safety incident.

“Holcim's first priority is safety,” said Kyle Kutach, plant safety manager. “Our staff and all contractors receive extensive safety training. This achievement is the result of hard work, individual focus, constant review, and improvement.”

“Our efforts have paid off,” said Patrick Dolberg, CEP of Holcim (US). “We consider our employees to be the most important part of our operations and have shown marked improvement, reducing company-wide lost time injuries by more than 60% in the last two years.”

The Midlothian facility also has demonstrated an important commitment to the environment. The plant was one of the first in the United States to utilize a new nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions reduction technology called selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR). The process injects ammonia solution into gases within the cement kiln system. The ammonia and nitrogen oxide reaction creates nitrogen and water vapor, thus reducing NOx emissions from the plant.

“Since the Spring of 2006, we have been operating the SNCR system and have been able to reduce our plant's NOx emissions by 50%,” says Michel Moser, manager at the plant. “This clearly shows that we are working hard to be a part of the solution for cleaner air in Texas.”

In addition, as a result of an agreement with several local environmental groups, Holcim has allocated $2.25 million in funds to be disbursed for clean air projects in North Texas. The resulting Sue Pope Fund is now the largest private clean air endowment in the state of Texas.

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