Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. In response to a federal court ruling and data from industry, the EPA is proposing changes to its 2010 air standards for the portland cement manufacturing industry. The proposal would continue the significant emission reductions from the 2010 standards, while providing industry additional compliance flexibilities, including more time to implement the proposed updates…
Read MoreMonth: June 2012
PCA chairman urges public policy that incorporates durability, sustainability
Source: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill. At the Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum in Rio de Janeiro, PCA Chairman of the Board Aris Papadopoulos, CEO of Titan America, called on business leaders of the world to include resilient construction in public policy.
Read MoreLafarge targets 20 percent recycled content factor in mix designs
Source: Lafarge Group, Paris Lafarge has entered a new phase in its sustainability commitment with the recent launch of Sustainability Ambitions 2020. The 34 new sustainability ambitions are organized around the three main pillars of sustainable development—social, economic, and environmental—and are coupled with demanding quantitative targets.
Read MoreHolcim on track to achieve sustainability targets
Source: Holcim Group, Jona, Switzerland The 2011 Holcim Corporate Sustainable Development Report shows that the Holcim Group is on track to achieve its sustainability targets. The self-imposed targets for reducing dust and NOx emissions have been met, and Holcim remains a leader in the industry with the lowest CO2 emissions per metric ton of cement produced. For CEO Bernard Fontana,…
Read MoreCemex alternative fuels strategy leads to 1.8 million tons less CO2 emission
Source: CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico Cemex announced recently that it has invested more than US$175 million, adjusted its production process and installed equipment to prepare, handle, and feed alternative fuels into its cement kilns. In 2011, Cemex achieved approximately a 25 percent alternative fuel substitution rate in its cement production, the highest rate among its global peers. The…
Read MoreCemex sprouts corporate sustainability seal
Sources: Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico; Staff reports Products and services in the Cemex building solutions portfolio with outstanding sustainability performance will carry a green- and blue-lettered seal, “ecoperating.” Earmarked for 2012-13 roll out in European and Latin American businesses, it was developed through a rigorous internal process that measures the environmental or social impact of a wide range…
Read MoreFeds’ data shows fly ash far from hazardous
Sources: American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), Denver; Staff reports An ACAA-sponsored report analyzing the most up-to-date U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) information available concerning coal ash constituents concludes that the concentrations of metals in the material, with few exceptions, are below environmental screening levels for residential soils and similar in concentration to common dirt.
Read MoreSt Marys Bowmanville plant celebrates North America’s first ISO 50001 certification for energy management
Source: St Marys Cement Inc., Toronto Politicians and community leaders were on hand recently to celebrate St Marys Cement Bowmanville plant having received North America’s first International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 50001 certification, a framework for industrial facilities seeking to manage their energy use.
Read MoreNew construction starts to rise 2% in 2012, says McGraw-Hill midyear update
Source: McGraw-Hill Construction, New York City McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies recently released its 2012 Dodge Construction Outlook Midyear Update projections, which revise the forecasts provided last October at the firm’s annual Outlook Conference in Washington, D.C. The latest forecast predicts that total construction starts for the U.S. will increase 2 percent this year to $445 billion, up…
Read MoreCement Totals—March 2012
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va. Total shipments of portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico were 6.0 million mt in March 2012, according to the USGS. This was 11 percent higher compared with shipments for March 2011. Shipments for the year through March were 15.2 million mt, up about 20 percent for the same period…
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