SKOKIE, Ill. – The Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine acknowledged Roanoke Cement, a Titan America business, located in Troutville, Va., as part of the 2008 Cement Industry Energy & Environmental Awards, honoring sustainable manufacturing practices.

The Roanoke Cement plant was a finalist in two categories: the Overall Environmental Award and the Land Stewardship Award.  PCA’s Overall Environmental Excellence Award is given to a plant demonstrating merit in several environmental categories including:  Outreach, Environmental Performance, Land Stewardship, Innovation, and Energy Efficiency.  The Land Stewardship Award recognizes a plant’s efforts to protect and enhance the surrounding land.

Roanoke Cement converted a former quarry into a process-water pond in order to protect local Catawba Creek from storm water runoff. This upgrade created a closed-loop water system that uses 100 percent rain water to cool machinery like compressors and fans.

The Troutville plant received an U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR® award for superior energy efficiency within the cement industry.  Roanoke Cement is one of only 10 U.S. plants rated as a “Top Performing Plant” by the program.

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.”

Five categories are recognized:  Outreach, Environmental Performance, Land Stewardship, Innovation, and Energy Efficiency.  Additionally, PCA presents a special honor to a plant demonstrating excellence in multiple categories.

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 awards represent independent groups such as Cement Americas magazine, the Cement Association of Canada, World Resources Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Wildlife Fund.

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.

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