Displaying items by tag: disaster

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has secured an agreement with Hyogo Prefecture for the future reception and processing of the prefecture’s waste from disasters such as earthquakes. The company says that the agreement will facilitate the rapid reception of such materials and to best support clean-up efforts.

President Hironori Morohashi said “We will continue to strengthen our cooperative relationship with Hyogo Prefecture and work to form a sustainable society and develop and improve the region.”

Spain: The eruption of the La Cumbre Vieja volcano has destroyed a concrete plant on La Palma in the Canary Islands after engulfing it with lava. EuroNews has reported that the eruption, which begun on 19 September 2021, has displaced 6000 people on the island. The La Cumbre Vieja volcano previously erupted in 1971.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement plans to establish a facility for processing waste produced by natural disasters in Saitama Prefecture. The company says that the facility will sort waste for recycling and sort non-recyclable materials suitable for use as cement additives for further processing. The plans received approval at a talk with Kumagaya City and Saitama Prefecture administrators in mid-January 2021.

The company said, “We have been accepting waste and by-products for cement production and promoting recycling, and we are now also working to contribute to the early recovery of disaster areas.”

Mexico: A ship carrying cement from Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s 2.2Mt/yr Oaxaca plant in Lagunas, Oaxaca state has sunk with 1500t of cement. Maritime Bulletin has reported that the Togo-registered vessel, Duban, had been delivering cement to Manzanillo, Colima state.

Australia: The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a US$9800 fine and a clean-up order to Boral for damage caused by a discharge of slurry from its Maclean concrete plant. The Daily Examiner newspaper has reported that a member of the public alerted the body to the spill, which issued from a storm drain into the Clarence River, on 15 October 2019. EPA north regulatory operations director Karen Marler said that the slurry ‘appeared to have been discharging from the Boral plant for some time prior.’ She said, “Subsequent EPA inspections confirm the clean-up and actions taken to improve plant operation were effective.”

India: A boiler at Birla Cement’s 2.5Mt/yr Chanderia plant in Rajasthan exploded on 29 September 2019, injuring an estimated 15 people. The Hindustan Times has reported that 11 people are in a critical condition. It is believed that the furnace overheated, which caused coal to scatter over workers below. Local government says that a report will come from its administrative-level investigation within 10 days, with criminal action to follow where appropriate.