2010 pca ee awards

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PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING

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Preserving OurWorld

SUSTAINABLE

MANUFACTURING

AWARDS

Energy & Environment Awards Safety Innovation Awards

Chairman’s Safety Performance Awards Terminal Safety Awards

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ENVIRONMENTAL SPIRITIn 2000, the Portland Cement Association launched a program

to foster continuous environmental improvement in the U.S.cement industry. One element of the program is to recognize

individual facilities that have shown a commitment to continuous

environmental and energy efficiency improvement.

PCA and Cement Americas magazine presented the first

cement industry awards in 2002 to the winners for 2001. The

awards program is open to any cement manufacturing plant

in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The awards honor

activities conducted during the previous calendar year.

Since its inception, the program has relied on judges

representing diverse organizations within and outside theindustry, including federal government agencies; trade

associations; trade publications; and non-profit wildlife

conservation and environmental resource groups.

The judges for the 2010 E&E Awards Program represented the

following agencies/organizations: National Ready Mixed Concrete

Association, U.S. EPA-ENERGY STAR, U.S. EPA-Office of Policy,

Economics, and Innovation, Cement Association of Canada,

Cement Americas, U.S. Geological Survey, World Resources

Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund.

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PCA ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT AWARDS 2010

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Preserving OurWorld

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VOLUNTARY CODE

OF CONDUCTTo transform its commitment to sustainable devel-opment into consistent, tangible actions, PCA has

developed the Cement Manufacturing Sustainability

(CMS) Program. The goal of the program is to balance

society’s need for cement products with stewardship

of the air, land, and water, conservation of energy

and natural resources, and maintenance of safe work

places and communities. The centerpiece of the CMS

Program is a voluntary code of conduct, which is a set

of principles, performance measures, and a reporting

protocol, designed to guide decision making, business

practices, and operating performance in a sustainable

fashion.

The PCA Board of Directors in 1991 adopted seven

principles that call on member companies in the U.S.

to meet market demands while using environmentally

responsible practices that minimize emissions, waste,

energy consumption, and the use of raw materials.

Taken together, these principles help U.S. manufac-

turers to integrate the economic, social, and environ-

mental dimensions of cement manufacturing, and

to find a balance between short-term priorities and

long-term needs.

1. The safety and health of our employees, our neigh-bors, and our customers is our first consideration in

the production and distribution of a quality product

PORTLAND CEMENT

MANUFACTURING ISA FOUR-STEP PROCESS:1. Raw materials, including limestone and small

amounts of sand and clay, come from quarries

usually located near the cement manufacturing

plant. Limestone is typically about 80% of the raw

mix and is the source of calcium. The remaining

raw materials provide silica and the necessary

small amounts of alumina and iron.

2. The materials are carefully analyzed, precisely

combined and blended, and then ground for

further processing.

3. The ground materials are heated in an industrial

furnace, called a kiln; kilns are a rotating vessel

ranging in length from 60 to more than 200 meters

(200 to >650 feet) long with a diameter rang-

ing from 3 to 7.5 meters (10 to 25 feet). The kiln

reaches temperatures of 1,450° C (2,650° F).

The heat causes the materials to turn into a new

marble-sized substance called clinker. The kiln

flame is fueled by powdered coal, powdered

petroleum coke, natural gas, oil, and/or recycled

materials burned for energy recovery.

4. Red-hot clinker is cooled and ground with a smallamount of gypsum. The end-result is a fine powder

called portland cement. At each stage, process

data are continuously monitored to produce a high-

quality product, improve energy efficiency, and

minimize emissions.

Cement or Concrete?The terms cement and

concrete are often

misused. Cement is an

ingredient of concrete.

It is the fine powder that,

when mixed with water,

sand, and gravel orcrushed stone, forms the

rock-like mass known

as concrete. Cement acts

as the binding agent or

glue in concrete.

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2. We will continue to implement effective controls,

which reduce or eliminate the release of pollutants

to the air, to the land, and/or to the water.

3. We will actively seek ways to manage wastes in a

responsible and environmentally sound manner.

4. We will pursue effective improvements in

energy efficiency and promote the conservation

of resources.

5. We will seek ways to beneficially and safely utilize

recyclable wastes as raw materials, fuels, and prod-

uct components as part of our overall commitment

to waste minimization and recycling.

6. We will continue to conduct mining operations ina responsible and environmentally sound manner.

7. We will participate with lawmakers, regulators, and

other interested parties in the development of ratio-

nal and effective health, safety, and environmental

laws and regulations.

ENVIRONMENTALPERFORMANCEMEASURESThe Environmental Performance Measures translate

the Cement Manufacturing Sustainability Program

Principles into action. A long-term reduction target is

identified for each key performance measure and then

progress toward that target is measured against

a baseline. Currently there are four goals approved by

the PCA members:

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)—The U.S. cement industry has

adopted a year 2020 voluntary target of reducing CO2

emissions by 10% (from a 1990 baseline) per ton of

cementitious product produced or sold.

Cement Kiln Dust (CKD)—The U.S. cement industry

has adopted a year 2020 voluntary target of a 60%

reduction (from a 1990 baseline) in the amount of

CKD landfilled per ton of clinker produced.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)—The

U.S. cement industry has adopted a voluntary target of

at least 40% of U.S. cement plants having implement-

ed an auditable and verifiable EMS by 2006, 75% of

the U.S. plants implementing an EMS by the end of

2010, and with 90% by the end of 2020.

Energy Efficiency—The U.S. cement industry

has adopted a year 2020 voluntary target of 20%

improvement (from a 1990 baseline) energy

efficiency—as measured by total Btu-equivalent

per unit of cementitious product.

With these ambitious goals, cement manufacturers

will reduce their environmental impact and energy

burden. Additional energy and environmental benefits

will be realized by the use of concrete in the construc-

tion of buildings and pavements. Portland cement

concrete is a durable product that can provide years

of benefits.

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Preserving OurWorld

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This category honors

facilities that go beyond

laws, permits, and

regulations to minimize

their impact on the

environment.

Runners Up:

Holcim (US) Inc.

Theodore, Alabama

Lafarge North

America Inc.

Seattle, Washington.

Finalist:

Lafarge North

America Inc.

Alpena, Michigan

By connecting the plant to

a third energy

source in 2009,

landfill gas

replaced

17% of the

plant’s fossil

fuels which

offsets more

than 30,000

tons of coal

carbon dioxide.

Winner:

Lafarge North America Inc., Sugar Creek, Missouri

The Lafarge Sugar Creek facility completed a range of projects in 2009

to increase the amount of alternative raw materials and fuels used by th

plant while continuing to keep emissions significantly below permit limi

By connecting the plant to a third energy source in 2009, landfill gas

replaced 17% of the plant’s fossil fuels, which offsets more than 30,00

tons of carbon dioxide generated from coal combustion. Modifications tits alternative solid fuels facility allowed the Sugar Creek plant to double

the percent of fossil fuel replacement—to 20%. In 2009, the facility uti

lized limestone fines from an adjacent quarry to replace more than 14%

of the limestone needs of the kiln. The plant also substitutes 35.8% of

non-limestone raw materials with a range of non-hazardous industrial

wastes such as bottom ash, boiler slag, foundry sands, and mill scale.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

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INNOVATIONWinner:

Lafarge North America Inc., Tulsa, OklahomaIn 2009 the Tulsa Lafarge plant took advantage of an alternative

fuel opportunity that builds upon a waste stream the industry has

been using for years. Most tire-derived fuel use is based on used

tires, but the Tulsa plant worked with Goodyear, Inc., to divert rubber

manufacturing waste from landfills and into the cement kiln. The plant

accepts bagged scrap rubber and malformed rubber components

which are delivered to a mid-kiln injection system by way of a high-

angle conveyor. In addition, the plant utilizes 100% Biogas from a

nearby landfill for the drying of raw materials and up to a 20%

substitution of the kiln fuel needs.

This category recognizesthe development and

application of innovative

technologies relevant to

environmental protec-

tion or energy efficiency.

Runner Up:

Lafarge North

America Inc.

Bath, Ontario

Finalist:

Lafarge NorthAmerica Inc.

Alpena, Michigan

Most tire-derivedfuel use is based

on used tires,

but the Tulsa

plant worked

with Goodyear,

Inc., to divert

rubber manufac-

turing waste from

landfills and into

the cement kiln.

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Preserving OurWorld

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OUTREACHWinner:

Holcim (US) Inc., Theodore, Alabama

The Holcim plant and its employees in Theodore support a range of

environmental projects in their community. In 2009, plant employees

were zone captains for cleanup of the Theodore Industrial Canal as

part of the 22nd annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup Day sponsored by

the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Seventy-one plant and community volunteers removed more than

1.5 tons of debris from the banks and waters of the canal. The plant

also worked with the Alabama Coastal Foundation in the evaluation of

the shoreline of the Fowl River. Those assessments will assist local

decision makers regarding river restoration, preservation, and

recreational uses. The plant continues to assist with the local Used

Electronics Recycling Days, which collected nearly 200,000 pounds

of unwanted electronic devices in 2009.

This category honors

activities that enhance

community, employee,

and government

relations.

Runners Up:

CEMEX

Xenia, Ohio

Finalists:

Titan America LLC

Troutville, Virginia

Lehigh Hanson

Materials Limited

Edmonton, Alberta

71 plant and

community

volunteers

removed more

than 1.5 tons of

debris from the

banks and

waters of

the canal.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Winner:

CalPortland, Colton, California

The CalPortland plant in Colton completed several unique energy

reduction projects in 2009. The facility has a comprehensive intranet

site that displays-energy performance information in dollars, energy

units, and specific energy. Several new installation upgrades lead to

tremendous energy savings. New high efficiency separator, baghouse,

and material-handling equipment will save nearly 7 million kWh annu-

ally for finish cement grinding; the completion of a kiln air leak reduc-

tion program will save more than 5.7 million kWh; and the installation of

a new cement terminal is expected to save more than 3.7 million kWh.These and other initiatives resulted in the plant scoring a perfect 100

through ENERGY STAR’s EPI benchmarking tool. In addition, Colton

has also established national accounts with suppliers which include

energy efficiency as part of their contracts.

This category focuses on

energy planning,

applications of efficient

technologies and practic-

es, and climate change

mitigation efforts.

Runner Up:

Lafarge North

America Inc.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Finalists:

Salt River Materials

Group / Phoenix

Cement Company

Clarkdale, Arizona

St. Marys Cement Inc.

(Canada) / VCNA

Bowmanville, Ontario

New high

efficiency

separator, bag-

house, and

material

handling

equipment

will save nearly

7 million kWh

annually for

finish cement

grinding.

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Preserving OurWorld

LAND STEWARDSHIPWinner:

CEMEX, Xenia, Ohio

The CEMEX Xenia facility has approached its land stewardship tasks

as a cooperative effort with the community, Cedarville University, and

the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2009, the plant and its

partners began the first phase of the eradication of a 4.5-acre kudzu

infestation, a non-native, invasive vine. After careful evaluation,

a plant specific, systemic herbicide was selected and targeted

application completed. The eradication will help to return the area

to native vegetation and to educate the local community on kudzu

control and elimination. Another project with university assistance is

the monitoring of a 47-acre native grassland habitat at a former clay

mine that will foster nesting habitat for grassland birds. The reclama-

tion plan is based on United States Fish and Wildlife Service and

Audubon Society guidelines, which exceed mining regulations.

This category recognizes

efforts to protect and

enhance the surrounding

land and wildlife.

Runners Up:

CEMEX

Lyons, Colorado

Lafarge North America Inc.

Alpena, Michigan

Finalists:


Bath, Ontario


Alpena, Michigan

A university-

assisted project

is the monitor-

ing of a 47-acre

native grassland

habitat at a

former clay mine

that will foster

nesting habitat

for grassland

birds.

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OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL

EXCELLENCEWinner:Lafarge North America Inc., Bath, Ontario

In 2009, the Lafarge Bath plant completed a range of environmental

and energy efficiency projects. As part of its climate change and energy

efficiency programs, university researchers have planted hybridized

willow species at the facility and other crops as possible renewable

biomass sources. The facility also worked with local farmers to raise

crops for a future trial biomass burn, and more than 950 bales of

plant material have been collected. With the installation of axial

blower technology, the plant improved kiln operation and increased theutilization of petroleum coke, an oil refinery byproduct. This modifica-

tion lowered sulfur and carbon dioxide emissions as well as fuel

consumption. With additional kiln operation and quarry changes, the

facility has nearly eliminated cement kiln dust (CKD) production.

Likewise, the CKD monofills were improved because little to no CKD

will be produced in the future. Lastly with the help of 250 local scouts,

leaders, and parents, the facility planted 3,000 trees on the plant

property for habitat restoration and climate change education

and mitigation.

This award recognizes a

facility that demonstrates

excellence in multiple

categories.

Runners Up:

CEMEX

Lyons, Colorado

Lafarge North

America Inc.

Alpena, Michigan

As part of its

climate change

and energy

efficiency

programs,

university

researchershave planted

hybridized

willow species

at the facility

and other crops

as possible

renewable

biomass

sources.

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2010 Energy and Environment Award Nominees

Ash Grove Cement Company, Chanute, Kansas

CalPortland, Colton, California

CEMEX, Demopolis, Alabama

CEMEX, Knoxville, Tennesse

CEMEX, Louisville, Kentucky

CEMEX, Lyons, Colorado

CEMEX, Victorville, California

CEMEX, Xenia, Ohio

Essroc Canada Inc., Picton, Ontario

GCC of America, Pueblo, Colorado

GCC of America, Tijeras, New Mexico

Holcim (US) Inc., Theodore, Alabama

Holcim (US) Inc., Florence, Colorado

Lafarge North America Inc., Alpena, Michigan

Lafarge North America Inc., Bath, Ontario

Lafarge North America Inc., Fredonia, Kansas

Lafarge North America Inc., Kamloops, British Columbia

Lafarge North America Inc., Richmond, British Columbia

Lafarge North America Inc., Seattle, Washington

Lafarge North America Inc., Sugar Creek, Missouri

Lafarge North America Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma

Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited, Edmonton, Alberta

Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, Lucerne Valley, California

Salt River Materials Group / Phoenix Cement Company, Clarkdale, Arizona

St. Marys Cement Inc. (Canada) / VCNA, Bowmanville, Ontario

Titan America LLC, Troutville, Virginia

Preserving OurWorld

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Less than 190,000 Employee Hours


Paulding, Ohio

Lehigh Cement Company

Cementon, New York


Bellingham, Washington

190,000 – 270,000 Employee Hours


Tulsa, Oklahoma


Mitchell, Indiana

CalPortland

Rillito, Arizona

More than 270,000 Employee Hours

Alamo Cement Company

San Antonio, Texas

Holcim (US) Inc.

Midlothian, Texas

Holcim (US) Inc.

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

CHAIRMAN’S SAFETY

PERFORMANCE

AWARDS

Each year, PCA chooses the plants with the best

safety performance records and awards them with

the Chairman’s Safety Performance Award. This year,

the records of 125 portland cement plants operating in

the United States and Canada were reviewed to deter-

mine which ones achieved the best accident records

in the field. Accident rates are based on the number

of injuries and illnesses per 100 employees, and none

of these plants had an accident rate above 1. Several

of the plants had no accidents in 2009.

Three plants in three categories designated by the

number of hours that employees collectively worked in

2009 are recognized this year for achieving superior

safety records. Working to continuously improve safety

and health in the workplace, employees at these nine

plants set a standard for safety excellence that

promotes safety and health protections throughout

the year.

PCA CHAIRMAN’S SAFETY PERFORMANCE AWARDS

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Safety FollowsWisdom

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Milling and Grinding

Electric Fan Motor Hoist

Repairing, cleaning, and balancing large process fans with rated

capacities in the 1750 to 3000 HP range requires rotating the fan

blades, which necessitates a lot of heavy lifting. To facilitate the job,

employees at the CalPortland Mojave cement plant purchased a small

electric motor cable hoist and fabricated a base to attach to the door

frame on the fan housing. A fabricated “fan hook” attached to a blade

works to both move and stop the blades. The hoist control is outside th

fan housing, so employees don’t come into contact with moving parts.

This innovation transformed a dirty, risky, and physically demanding job

into a standardized process that is used throughout the plant.

CalPortland

Mojave, California

Mill Motor Guard Redesign

Motivated by having to work on a cumbersome mill motor guard that

required the guard to be removed in two separate pieces, employees at

the GCC Rio Grande Tijeras cement plant designed a metal plate device

that allows the guard to be removed in one single piece. Prior to usingthe newly designed piece, employees had to

position the motor guard so that bolt holes were

properly aligned with their bolts – all while stand-

ing on a ladder! The redesign involved machining

the metal plates, relocating the angle iron on the

guard door, and welding pins to the main guard

frame. The new process is safer and requires

less physical exertion.

GCC of America

Tijeras, New Mexico

In this year’s Safety Innovation-

Awards, PCA chose plants’

innovative projects that achieve

the objectives of the Occupational

Health and Safety Committee: to

recognize and reward creative

projects in the portland cement

industry; to communicate these

ideas to North American cement

manufacturers; and to elevate the

importance of innovative solutionsto safety challenges in the portland

cement industry. Winning entries

came from four categories this

year: Milling and Grinding,

Pyroprocessing, Distribution, and

General Facility. Along with PCA,

these awards are sponsored by the

Cement Association of Canada and

Cement Americas magazine.

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PCA SAFETY INNOVATION AWARDS 2010

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Mill Hatch Door Opening System

Even after a short period of time, mill doors tend to stick tightly due to

ball fragments, cured cement, or other materials that wedge or bind

to the door and its seal. Employees at the Ash Grove Texas plant in

Midlothian devised a new way to open mill doors. The typical way to

open the doors involves workers scaling a 38-foot diameter mill using

harnesses and lanyards, and then attempting to free the door using the

force of multiple 20 pound sledgehammer strikes. The mill hatch door

opening system uses a brace plate, a welded I-Beam, and a hydraulic

jack. The I-Beam is connected to the mill by the brace plate; the jack

is placed between the mill door and the I-Beam, and then activated to

free the door.

Ash Grove Texas LPMidlothian, Texas

Finish Mill Door Opener

Another mill hatch door project uses a brace and a hydraulic jack

designed and fabricated by employees at Ash Grove’s Seattle cement

plant. To address the same types of injuries that occurred at its sister

plant, employees in Seattle independently devised a mechanical system

that reduced the need for employees to use a sledgehammer, thereby

removing significant strain on the body. A brace was fabricated, and

once in place, effectively removed the door in five minutes. This

design used an 18-inch of I-beam with pad eyes attached to the brace

to connect to the pad eyes on the mill. A 25-Ton hydraulic jack placed

between the brace put pressure on the mill door to complete the job.

Ash Grove Cement Company, Seattle Plant

Seattle, Washington

Mill Doors Made Easy

GCC Dakotah employed a different design to remove mill doors whennecessary. The principle was the same, though. A team of employees

working in the maintenance department at GCC in Rapid City, South

Dakota, fabricated an assembly that consisted of two mounting brack-

ets that attach to the mill door frame. The team placed a reaction bar

next to the door and used the tool as a pushing support for a 50-ton

porta-power. Removing mill doors now is a matter of using two pins

and a few strokes of a handle to open the door.

GCC of America

Rapid City, South Dakota

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Safety FollowsWisdom

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Pyroprocessing

Retrieving a Hot Sample

Employees at the CEMEX Brooksville South cement plant came up with

an innovative way to isolate the retrieval of hot-process samples and

better protect the samplers. Workers constructed a 4-sided metal build

ing with a Plexiglas view window around the sampling port. A wench

operated by a hand crank mechanism allows the sampler to raise and

lower the retrieval device and to open and close the portal cap. By

physically separating the sampler from the portal cap with a metal

barrier, employees are never in an unsafe position.

CEMEX

Brooksville, Florida

Duct Plug

At the Holcim (US) Inc. cement plant in Midlothian, Texas, employees

were building scaffolds inside a large vertical duct to replace old refrac-

tory brick. After a piece broke away and struck an employee, the plant

developed protective equipment to prevent falling materials from hitting

people as they work inside ducts. The Duct Plug is made of a “tough

material” which is flat until it is inflated using compressed air in a

location above where employees are working. When the work is

completed, the plug is deflated and easily moved. Because of itsflexibility, the duct plug can be installed in virtually any shaped duct.

Holcim (US) Inc.

Midlothian, Texas

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PCA SAFETY INNOVATION AWARDS 2010

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Distribution

Semi-Automatic Tarping System

Hourly and salaried employees at the Roanoke Cement Company’s

Troutville cement plant identified a risk for drivers who climbed onto

flat beds of a semi-truck to load pallets of cement. In-house engineers

designed and implemented a semi-automatic tarping system that uses

a hoist and motor control to lift a tarp onto the bed and cover the pallets

for transport. The hoist mechanism eliminates the need for climbing.

The semi-automatic truck tarping station significantly reduces risk by

keeping employees on the ground while maintaining truck cycle times.

Titan America LLC

Troutville, Virginia

General Facility

Having to replace valve tube springs on a portable welder engine

prompted an employee at Ash Grove Cement Company’s Leamington,

Utah, plant to design a tool that both removed a safety hazard and

reduced the time to do the job. Compressing the valve springs manually

exposed the employee to pinch hazards and line of fire hazards if the

spring slips from the tool grip. He fashioned a new tool by welding two

one-inch “U” brackets onto a pair of vice grips. Instead of compressing

the parts by hand, the employee can use the modified vice grips to holdand compress the valve tube springs.

Ash Grove Cement Company

Leamington, Utah

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Less than 5,000 Employee Hours


Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

St. Marys Cement Inc. (U.S.) / VCNA

Toledo, Ohio

Essroc Cement Corp.

Palmer, Massachusetts

5,000 to 9,000 Employee Hours


Doraville, Georgia

Holcim (US) Inc.

Denver, Colorado

Holcim (US) Inc.

Memphis, Tennessee

More than 9,000 Employee Hours

Buzzi Unicem USA Inc.

Nashville, Tennessee


Port Everglades, Florida

Titan America LLC

Newark, New Jersey

Canadian Terminal Award


Whitefish River, Ontario

The Terminal Safety Award recognizes portland

cement distribution terminals with the best safety

records in North America. The performance records

of more than 230 terminals in the U.S. and Canadawere reviewed for the contest this year, and we are

awarding 10 terminals who posted the best accident

performance records.

For U.S. operations, three categories with 3 winners

each achieved this prestigious award; while a separate

category was established with one winner in Canada.

The categories are U.S. terminals with less than 5,000

employee hours; U.S. terminals between 5,000 and9,000 hours; and U.S. terminals with more than

9,000 hours. Canadian terminals were evaluated

on the entire range of employee hours.

Employees at these facilities work to continuously

improve safety and health conditions and set a high

standard that promotes safety and health protections

throughout the year.

PCA TERMINAL SAFETY AWARDS 2010 Safety FollowsWisdom

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2010 pca ee awards

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