Displaying items by tag: Puerto Rico
Cemex Puerto Rico fined US$292,000 for Mine Safety and Health Administration violations
13 July 2016Puerto Rico: The US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has fined Cemex Puerto Rico US$291,722 in penalties relating to 119 citations and orders issued for safety violations at the company’s Ponce Cement Plant and Cantera Canas mines. The cement producer must now implement enhanced safety measures at its three MSHA-regulated facilities in Puerto Rico.
The MSHA issued the citations and orders for a wide variety of violations, including obstructed and unsafe travel ways and workplaces, safety defects on mobile equipment and machinery, and unguarded machine parts. The settlement was approved on 7 June 2016.
In the settlement Cemex agrees to hire an independent external safety consultant knowledgeable about surface mining and cement plant operations to conduct annual, wall-to-wall employee safety audits of these three facilities over the next four years. It will also arrange for the MSHA’s Educational Field and Small Mine Services to teach a mine safety course and cement plant safety course to safety directors, assistant safety directors, area supervisors and foremen.
EPA settles major air pollution case with Cemex in Puerto Rico
05 October 2015Puerto Rico: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that Cemex de Puerto Rico will spend US$1.7m on pollution controls that will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. In addition, the company will pay a US$160,000 penalty for Clean Air Act violations.
"Nitrogen oxides emissions can lead to a number of serious health and environmental problems, including respiratory problems, heart disease and smog," said Judith A Enck, EPA regional administrator. "The EPA settlement protects children with asthma and other vulnerable populations from harmful air pollution by requiring that Cemex install state-of-the-art technology and take immediate steps to reduce pollutants."
The Cemex cement kiln system in Ponce has operated for over 20 years and is a major source of nitrogen oxide emissions. The settlement addresses modifications Cemex made to its cement plant without obtaining the proper permit, as required by the Clean Air Act. Businesses that produce large quantities of air pollution are required to obtain permits and install pollution control technology before making changes that would significantly increase emissions.
Following an EPA inspection, Cemex conducted a smokestack test at its Ponce facility and potential violations were discovered. In the settlement, Cemex will install control technology, which will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by approximately 1423t/yr.
Cementos Argos launches brand in Puerto Rico
09 September 2015Puerto Rico: Colombia's Cementos Argos has launched its brand in Puerto Rica following the purchase of a cement terminal in May 2015.
"Through this new receipt, storage and distribution terminal, we are making all of our experience, knowledge and innovation available to the local market. All of these elements together, in combination with our personalised technical advice and industrial professionalisation programmes, make up Argos' value promise: Support and accompaniment," says Mauricio Ossa, the vice president for Cementos Argos' Caribbean and Central American regional division.
On 1 May 2015 Argos took over the management of the terminal and began an integration to efficiently align the new operation with its existing structure and thus ensure unification processes and services. The terminal boosts the creation of synergies with the company's existing operations, further driving trading activities that were already on the rise.
"Puerto Rico complements our existing logistics platform, allowing us to efficiently interconnect strategic production assets with our main markets, providing us with an enhanced level of operational flexibility that fits in perfectly with our strategy," said Ossa.
Loma Negra cement assets expected to change hands
12 June 2015Argentina: Loma Negra, the cement assets purchased in 2005 by Brazil's Camargo Corrêa Cimentos from the Fortabat family in a US$1bn deal and later incorporated into Intercement is likely to be sold, according to El Cronista. Loma Negra began 2011 with a US$400m four-year investment that includes US$250m to set up a plant at San Juan, Puerto Rico. It would be Loma Negra's 10th cement plant.
Puerto Rico: Cementos Argos has purchased a 60% stake for US$18m in Wetvan Overseas, a company that controls a cement terminal in Puerto Rico. The remaining 40% belongs to Grupo Vicini, a Dominican business group holding investments in the Caribbean and Central America. The acquisition will give Argos a 15% market share in Puerto Rica.
"With this transaction, we are entering a new market that is closely tied to the US economy, that currently consumes close to 650,000t/yr and whose growth perspectives are being driven by the latent recovery and the new programs aimed at stimulating investment in Puerto Rico. The acquisition strengthens our position as leader in the region," said Jorge Mario Velásquez, CEO of Argos.
With the new purchase Argos increases its presence in the Americas with operations in Antigua, Colombia, Curacao, Dominica, the US, Haiti, Honduras, French Guiana, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Saint Martin, Saint Thomas and Suriname.