USA: Cemex settles with EPA

Cemex and its affiliate, Kosmos Cement Company, have reached a settlement deal with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to resolve alleged historical violations of the Clean Air Act at five cement plants in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas.

Cemex will invest around US$10m to cut emissions of harmful pollution. Emissions monitoring and reduction equipment will be installed at the five plants. Cemex will also pay US$1.69m in civil penalties, conduct energy audits and spend US$150,000 on energy efficient projects to mitigate the effects of past violations which saw the excess emissions of nitrogen oxides from its facilities.