SKOKIE, Ill.—Six cement plants received special recognition for their commitment to improving the environment and their communities at the Eighth Annual Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards, presented by Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine at PCA's Spring Meeting in Chicago, April 28, 2009.

The awards honor individual cement facilities that exemplify the spirit of continuous environmental improvement and support this spirit with action. These plants went beyond government regulations and local laws to ensure that their processes and policies contributed to making their communities better places to live and work.

“Minimizing the environment impact of its plants and making their local communities better places are top priorities for cement manufacturers,” said Brian McCarthy, PCA president and CEO.  “The actions taken by these plants and many others are at the fore-front of manufacturing technology and illustrate the cement industry’s commitment to produce a superior product while continuously challenging policies and procedures”

Six categories recognized plants throughout the United State (listed by category, company, and plant location):

• Overall Environmental Excellence: Titan America LLC/Roanoke Cement Company, Troutville, Va.
• Outreach: Holcim (US) Inc., Theodore, Ala.
• Environmental Performance: Holcim (US) Inc., Holly Hill, S.C.
• Land Stewardship: CEMEX, Knoxville, Tenn.
• Innovation: Buzzi Unicem USA, Greencastle, Ind.
• Energy Efficiency: CalPortland, Mojave, Calif.

Twenty-five cement plants in the United States and Canada were nominated for the awards.

Overall Environmental Excellence
Titan America LLC/Roanoke Cement Company – Troutville, Va.
Honored as a runner-up in the Energy Efficiency category and a finalist in the Environmental Performance category, the Roanoke Cement Company plant is keenly aware that increasing efficiencies in operations reduces its environmental impact.  The company has initiated several programs to meet its goal to reduce, reclaim and reuse wastes.  For example, it reuses 100 percent of its cement kiln dust (CKD) and is emptying its CKD landfill for use by local farmers.  For the past two years Roanoke Cement has been a receipt of the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR® and in 2008 became an ENERGY STAR partner.  As an ENEGY STAR partner, all Titan plants will submit to independent energy efficiency monitoring that includes base lining, tracking, and benchmarking the company's energy performance. Surrounded by the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains, the plant and its employees participate in several environmental community events including an creek-clean up.

Outreach
Holcim (US) Inc. – Theodore, Ala.
The Holcim Theodore facility staff participates in a number of community and environmental outreach activities each year. For the past several years, the plant has participated in the Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup Day, a world-wide event to clean trash and debris from beaches, lakes and streams. During the 2008 Clean-up, Holcim-led volunteers collected more than 3,000 pounds of debris from the Theodore Industrial Canal. In addition to participation in community events such as Mobile Bay Derelict Crab Trap Removal Day and the Keep Mobile Beautiful electronic recycling days, the plant has a Community Advisory Committee made up of neighborhood residents.  This group helps Holcim maintain an open line of communications with the local community and engages stakeholders.

Environmental Performance Award
Holcim (US) Inc. – Holly Hill, S.C.
In 2008, the Holcim Holly Hill facility completed several notable projects that improved their environmental performance in emissions and energy consumption. For example, the plant was able to reduce the amount of CKD by 44 percent compared to 2007 through better raw material analysis. The Holly Hill plant utilizes a significant amount of waste material that it generates as an alternative fuel source, saving landfill space and fossil fuels.  In 2008, alternative fuels supplied 32 percent of the fuel requirements for the plant, the equivalent of nearly 62,000 tons of traditional fossil fuels.

Land Stewardship
CEMEX – Knoxville, Tenn.
The CEMEX Knoxville plant has worked with the National Resources Conservation Service, local schools and other organizations to improve wildlife habitats on their property. It worked with University of Tennessee students to preserve and dedicate the nine-acre Cabbage Island in the Holston River as a wildlife habitat. The island is home to more than 30 avian species, including bald eagle, and 16 mammalian species. CEMEX also worked with the Wild Turkey Federation, the National Resource Conservation Service and Legacy Parks Foundation to locate 5.5 acres of wildlife food plots that improve nutrition of local wildlife such as white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and bobwhite quail.

Innovation
Buzzi Unicem USA – Greencastle, Ind.
The Greencastle Buzzi Unicem USA facility has found an innovative means to address a portion of their energy needs. It is the only cement plant in the U.S. utilizing spent pot liner (SPL) as an alternative fuel source.  SPL, a waste product generated by the aluminum industry, traditionally has been sent to landfills. The Greencastle plant developed a dedicated storage, handling, and injection system for off-site processed pot liner. In addition to recognizing a modest replacement of coal when using the byproduct, SPL’s raw material constituents also allow for modest replacement of raw materials such as sand and shale. Based on the success of the SPL project, Buzzi is exploring the possibility of incorporating additional hard-to-handle waste materials from other industries.

Energy Efficiency
CalPortland – Mojave, Calif.
The CalPortland Mojave plant has an efficiency program that has resulted in major energy reductions, saved thousands of dollars, and prevented the emission of tens of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide. In 2008, the plant completed a “behind-the-meter” wind project that represents the largest such renewable wind project servicing a manufacturing facility in the world to date. Eight 3-megawatt wind turbines were generate 60 million kilowatts per year of renewable energy and supply approximately 35 percent of the plant’s annual electricity needs.  This is the equivalent of powering 5,255 homes for a year.

History of the Awards
The awards program was created in 2000 by the Portland Cement Association as part of its renewed environment and energy strategic plan for the U.S. cement industry. PCA and Cement Americas magazine presented the first Cement Industry Environmental Awards in 2002 to the winners for 2001. The awards honor activities conducted during the previous calendar year, and the program is open to any cement manufacturing plant in North America.  Judges for the 2009 awards represent independent groups such as Cement Americas magazine, the Cement Association of Canada, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Cement Sector Program, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program.

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.

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