SKOKIE, Ill. – The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine acknowledged the Lafarge North America Inc. cement plant in Alpena, Mich., as part of the 2009 Cement Industry Energy & Environmental Awards. 

The plant was a runner-up for PCA’s Overall Environmental Excellence Award.  This honor is given to a plant demonstrating merit in several environmental categories including:  Outreach, Environmental Performance, Land Stewardship, Innovation, and Energy Efficiency. 

The Lafarge Alpena plant demonstrates excellence in several aspects of environmental responsibility. In 2008, it completed the conversion of all five kilns from direct to indirect firing burners.  This not only reduced the plant’s emissions, but it allowed for the introduction of more environmentally friendly alternative fuels.  Two alternative fuels were used by Lafarge:  a residual plastic waste from the paper pulping process and the byproduct of a fermentation process.  Additionally, in 2008, the plant produced 80 percent of their electricity on site by utilizing waste heat from the kilns.  This method of electricity generation allowed the plant to reduce its carbon footprint by almost 100,000 estimated tons of carbon dioxide.

Lafarge is committed to stewardship of the land at its plant and in the surrounding communities.  It has an active community relations team that regularly meets with state and local leaders and elected officials.  The plant continues to improve and expand the wildlife habitat project surrounding its abandoned Paxton Quarry, which was visited by 1,100 people in 2008 to learn about the outdoors, wildlife habitat, enjoy a day of fishing, and to just enjoy being in the outdoors.

The Cement Industry Energy & Environmental Awards honor individual cement facilities that exemplify the spirit of continuous environmental improvement and support this spirit with action.  These plants go beyond government regulations and local laws to ensure that their processes contributed to making their communities better places to live and work.  

“Cement companies take very seriously their responsibilities to towns where their employees and customers live,” Brian McCarthy, PCA president/CEO said. “The awards program recognizes these ongoing efforts to continuously challenge manufacturing policies and procedures to minimize our environmental footprint.”

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.

About Lafarge
The Lafarge Group is the world leader in building materials, with top-ranking positions in all of its businesses: Cement, Aggregates & Concrete and Gypsum. With 83,000 employees in 78 countries, the Group posted sales of 19.0 billion Euros in 2008. Lafarge North America Inc. (“Lafarge North America” or "Lafarge"), a Lafarge Group company, is the largest diversified supplier of construction materials in the United States and Canada.

In 2009 and for the fifth year in a row, the Lafarge Group was listed in the “Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World”. With the world’s leading building materials research facility, the Lafarge Group places innovation at the heart of its priorities, working for sustainable construction and architectural creativity.
           
For more information about Lafarge North America, go to www.lafarge-na.com

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