North American Leaders in Environment and Energy Performance
Operational Excellence
The North American Cement Industry Environment & Energy Awards honour individual cement facilities that exemplify the spirit of continuous environmental improvement and support this spirit with action.
Established in 2000 by the U.S. Portland Cement Association (PCA), the first Cement Industry Environment & Energy Awards were presented in 2002. The Awards are open to any cement manufacturing plant in North America and the award categories are:
- Overall Environmental Excellence
- Outreach
- Environmental Performance
- Land Stewardship
- Innovation
- Energy Efficiency
The Awards are judged by a group of independent judges from the PCA, Cement Americas magazine, the Cement Association of Canada, World Resources Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Wildlife Fund.
Canadian Winners
Although they operate only 16 of the 150 cement plants in North America, Canadian cement manufacturers have been honoured with numerous Cement Industry Environment & Energy Awards over the years. Recent winners include:
2007 Environmental Performance Award - St. Marys Cement Inc., Bowmanville, Ontario
The Bowmanville plant won the Environmental Performance Award, which honours facilities that take steps beyond those contained in environmental laws, regulations and permits, to minimize their impact on the environment. During 2006, the plant instituted a state-of-the-art environmental management system and achieved impressive reductions in emissions. The new systems allowed the facility to reduce sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 53% and nitrogen oxide (NO2) emissions by 18%. The reductions go far beyond regulatory reduction limits.
The St. Marys Cement Bowmanville plant was also named runner-up in the Land Stewardship and Energy Efficiency categories.
2006 Land Stewardship Award - Lafarge Canada Inc., Bath, Ontario
Lafarge Canada in Bath, Ontario won the Land Stewardship Award, which recognizes efforts to protect and enhance the land surrounding the plant. Working with the Wildlife Habitat Council and Ducks Unlimited, Lafarge transformed its former cement kiln dust landfill into a spot that nurtures the area's wildlife with a seed mix that grows wildflowers, attracts pollinating insects, and feeds deer, turkey, and other wildlife. An old quarry is being converted into a children's outdoor learning centre that includes trails, a pond, and a fossil hunting area.