Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.; CP staff

A second flag bearing a lone star now flies at the Transit Mix Concrete & Materials Co. Seven Points plant outside Dallas, flanking Texas’ own red, white and blue, and Old Glory. Last week's ceremonial flag-raising marked the first operation certified under NRMCA’s Green-Star Program, which recognizes a facility’s Environmental Management System (EMS) and continuous improvement of pollution control, waste reduction and water conservation measures.

Addressing fellow association members, plus federal, state and local officials, 2008 NRMCA Chairman Frank Craddock (Cemex USA) noted no surprise in Transit Mix logging the first Green-Star certified plant, as the company has won more NRMCA Environmental Excellence Awards than any other producer. “I challenge the industry to follow the example set by Transit Mix here,” he said, assuring peers that Cemex would soon join the ranks of Green-Star plant operators. “[The certification] shows that environmental considerations are integrated into day-to-day plant operations and business decision-making. The Green-Star Program brings those principles home,” added Mark Potts, EPA Region VI associate director of compliance assurance and enforcement. Available to member and nonmember producers on two-year audit cycles, Green-Star was developed by the NRMCA Operations, Environmental and Safety Committee’s Environmental Task Group. The program covers a company’s existing EMS based on the ‘Plan-Do-Check-Act’ model of continual improvement. It offers an industry-tailored alternative to such widely adopted, EMS-based endeavors as the U.S. EPA Performance Track and ISO 14001. Additional information on Green-Star certification and auditor training can be obtained from NRMCA Managing Director of Compliance David Ayers, dayers@nrmca.org, 240/485-1155.