Sources: CP staff; Environmental Protection Agency
Twenty-seven portland cement mills and grinding operations are among 70 manufacturing sites to achieve EPA Energy Star certification for superior performance last year. Through energy management and efficiency initiatives, agency officials note, the entire group reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 8 million metric tons and cut power expenditures $725 million.
Two Essroc Cement Corp. (Nazareth, Pa., Martinsburg, W.V.) and two Lehigh Portland Cement plants (Leeds, Ala., Glen Falls, N.Y.) attained EPA Energy Star certification for the first time in 2014. They join sister or peer operations the agency certified last year: Lehigh Cement (Maryland and California plants); Buzzi Unicem (Missouri, Tennessee and three Texas plants); CalPortland Co. Rillito); Cemex USA (California, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and two Florida plants); Continental Cement (Hannibal, Mo.); Holcim (US) Inc. (Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Utah plants); Martin Marietta/TXI (Midlothian); Salt River Materials Group (Clarkdale); and, Titan America (Pennsuco and Roanoke).
The 27 cement operations EPA recognized for 2014 are among 139 manufacturing plants certified thus far in the Energy Star program. Certified plants are independently verified on an annual basis to have reached the top 25 percent of energy performance for their industries nationwide.
“[They] are leading their industries by advancing energy efficiency and making cost-saving improvements while combating climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Through their work with EPA, the 2014 Energy Star manufacturing plants are demonstrating that making sustainability and energy efficiency improvements is a smart business decision.”