SKOKIE, Ill. – On March 19, 2007, the St. Marys Cement Inc., cement plant in Charlevoix, Mich., received the Overall Environmental Excellence Award from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine as part of the 2006 Cement Industry Energy and Environment Awards.  The award was presented at PCA’s Spring Meeting in La Jolla, Calif.

PCA presents the Overall Environmental Excellence Award a plant demonstrating merit in multiple categories.  Five categories are recognized:  Outreach, Environmental Performance, Land Stewardship, Innovation, and Energy Efficiency.  In addition to accepting this honor, the plant was also a runner-up in the Land Stewardship and Outreach categories.

The St. Marys Charlevoix plant demonstrates excellence in several aspects of environmental responsibility. In 2006, the plant installed a new indirect firing system that reduced both fuel consumption and emissions. The plant also replaced power plant fly ash with on-site shale, overburden, and purchased bottom ash to reduce mercury emissions. Close to a residential area, the facility conducted a noise study that lead to the design and installation of silencers resulting in less noise for the surrounding community. Working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, St. Marys maintained a fish-stocking program for the Chinook salmon fingerlings and worked to encourage the regional resurgence of the bald eagle by constructing nesting platforms on its property. In 2006, the plant launched a local newsletter to inform the local community about environmental projects at the plant.

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,” said Charlie T. Sunderland, PCA chairman and CEO of Ash Grove Cement Company. “The awards program recognizes these ongoing efforts to continuously challenge manufacturing policies and procedures to minimize our environmental footprint.”

A presentation will take place in Charlevoix later this spring. 

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 PCA, 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.