Displaying items by tag: Court
Mexico: 200 police officers in 80 police cars arrived outside the gates of Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s Cruz Azul cement plant in Tula, Hidalgo, on 15 December 2021, but failed to enter the plant. The El Financiero newspaper has reported that the police were following a court order to remove the company from the plant. Supervisory board president Alberto Lopez reasserted the company’s right to occupy the property in line with federal government ordinances. Lopez suggested an alleged collusion between cooperativists and Omar Fayad’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) Hidalgo state government to decieve the courts.
Authorities have frozen Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s accounts with outstanding bills of US$800,000 in electricity, gas, equipment and services bills, as well as the payroll of its 1100 workers.
Coopertiva La Cruz Azul chair Federico Sarabia said that the developments threaten the existence of the Cruz Azul plant. He said "In terms of quality, Cruz Azul’s cement exceeds the standard. At the time that Cruz Azul disappears as a cement producer, prices will increase.”
India: A Telangana court has blocked Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana from disconnecting the power supply to some of Anjani Portland Cement’s cement operations in the state. The power supply is seeking to take the measure among other ‘coercive steps’ in an on-going dispute with the producer. Reuters News has reported that Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana has issued a demand letter for alleged breach of obligations by Anjani Portland Cement.
Grayson County administration to take legal advice in fight against Black Mountain cement plant plans
10 December 2021US: The commissioners of Grayson County in Texas have agreed to take legal advice to try and stop Black Mountain building an integrated cement plant. The Herald Democrat newspaper has reported that the administration plans to launch its claim on the basis of air quality. The city councils of would-be host communities Dorchester and Sherman will contend the plans on the basis of other issues within their respective powers.
Sherman mayor David Plyler says that the plan would interfere with the area’s aim of attracting high-tech industry and investment. District court judge Bill Magers said “The county doesn't normally step into fight city battles, but the county feels that the proposed plant would be bad for the county overall.”
Breedon Group receives dangerous blasting fine
09 December 2021UK: A court has fined Breedon Group Euro350,000 for endangering workers at one of its quarries. Environmental Data Services News has reported that a blast caused a flyrock projection event as workers set off explosives at the quarry.
Holcim issues statement on on-going Lafarge Syria terror case
02 December 2021France: Holcim has issued a statement after another day of the on-going criminal court case against Lafarge Syria on charges of financing a terror organisation, violating an embargo, endangering its employees and being complicit in crimes against humanity. Aljazeera News has reported that the company stands accused of paying US$15.3m to armed groups including ISIS, to which it allegedly also supplied cement. Prior to the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, Lafarge Syria had invested US$601m in its cement operations in the country. Holcim called the alleged crimes a ‘legacy issue’ for Lafarge Syria. Following the group’s discovery of the historic conduct in 2016, it engaged third-party investigators and shared their findings with the courts.
Chair Beat Hess said “All the alleged charges against Lafarge SA are in stark contrast with everything that Holcim stands for as a company. The described events concerning Lafarge SA were concealed from the Holcim Board at the time of the merger in 2015 and go completely against the values of our company.” He added “On behalf of the board of directors of Holcim, I would like to reiterate how extremely shocked and appalled we are by the alleged charges against Lafarge SA.”
Colombia: Cemex Colombia has received a US$16.8m fine from the Colombian Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN) for irregularities in its 2012 income tax payment. The company reportedly made an improper imputation of its balance for the year. Cemex Colombia says that it will take the matter to court. It has until March 2022 to file a suit.
Egyptian investor takes legal action against Algerian authorities over two cement plant projects
24 August 2021Algeria: An Egypt-based investment company has initiated legal action against Algeria over issues relating to two cement plant projects. The Global Arbitration Review newspaper has reported that the company is seeking to claim US$900m in damages.
Ireland: The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has won its case against Quinn Cement over the latter’s violation of emissions laws. The Impartial Reporter newspaper has reported that an EPA monitor recorded 36 breaches at Quinn Cement’s Ballyconnell plant between 5 October 2018 and 7 October 2018. The plant was also emitting four times the legal hydrogen chloride on 5 February 2019. Following its subsidiary company’s guilty plea, Quinn Industrial Holdings said via a spokesperson, “Though independent assessment confirmed there were no material environmental impacts arising, best practice environmental safety procedures were followed and production ceased on each occasion. Since then significant work and expenditure has been completed to prevent a recurrence.” The Cavan district court fined Quinn Cement Euro2000.
Carthage Cement alleges false testimony by FLSmidth lawyer
24 February 2020Tunisia: Carthage Cement has submitted a statement to Tunisian police in which it alleges false testimony by FLSmidth’s lawyer who advised the Danish supplier in a criminal case which saw one employee sentenced to five years for illegal payments to Carthage Cement’s owners in 2017. Ritzau Finans newspaper has reported that FLSmidth’s management admitted to knowledge of the payments on 21 February 2020, something it had denied to authorities when under investigation prior to the trial, which concluded in November 2019.
Cementa receives Gotland quarrying clearance
21 January 2020Sweden: The Land and Environmental Court has ruled in favour of Cementa for the renewal of its extraction licence for its quarry near the 2.5Mt/yr integrated Slite plant in Gotland. The company says that the decision ensures the continued operation of the cement plant. “We see this as confirmation that it is possible to continue limestone extraction without jeopardising water security or harming protected areas or species,” said Cementas CEO Magnus Ohlsson. “This gives us peace of mind and the chance to focus on future work in order to further develop sustainable cement production in Slite.”