Jump to main content.

Cement Manufacturing

Cement Manufacturing map

Map showing location of U.S. facilities in this sector; please click on the map to see a larger version.

Sector Profile

While the Cement Manufacturing sector is exploring and beginning to implement less polluting means of producing cement, Portland cement remains the industry’s primary product and a key component in the making of concrete.

Portland cement is the generic term for a fine gray powder that binds sand and gravel into concrete. It is produced by combining exact proportions of limestone, clay, and sand, grinding them together, and then heating the mixture in a kiln to form an intermediate product called “clinker.” After cooling, clinker is ground with a small amount of gypsum into the Portland cement product.

Particulate matter (PM and PM-10), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the primary emissions from the manufacture of Portland cement.

The Cement Manufacturing sector is concentrated among a relatively small number of companies. Many U.S. cement plants are owned by or are subsidiaries of foreign companies. Together, 10 companies accounted for about 80 percent of total U.S. cement production in 2005. California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Alabama are the five leading cement-producing states and accounted for about 48 percent of recent U.S. production.

Top of page

Performance Data and Trends for this Sector

You can find recent data and trends for this sector in the Cement Manufacturing chapter of the most recent Sector Strategies Performance Report.

The Cement Manufacturing chapter in the report, Energy Trends in Selected Manufacturing Sectors: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmentally Preferable Energy Outcomes (PDF) (11 pp, 300K About PDF), outlines the trends and opportunities in energy use for this sector.

Top of page

EPA Sector Strategies Activities

The collaboration between the Sector Strategies Program and the cement industry will overcome barriers to environmental improvement through regulatory innovation, measure performance, and promote use of environmental management systems by cement-producing facilities.

Regulatory Innovation

The cement industry and Sector Strategies are working together to promulgate more effective regulations, looking for ways both to improve environmental performance and reduce barriers. EPA regulations for this sector include air release monitoring and reporting, and solid waste management.

Cement Sector: Trends in Beneficial Use of Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials (PDF) (116 pp, 2.7MB About PDF) (revised draft October 2008) analyzes recent trends in beneficial use of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement production. The overall objective of the study is to promote increased utilization of beneficial-use materials in cement kilns, where it is safe to do so, by identifying trends as well as cost, technical, supply/logistics, and barriers to increased utilization of these materials. Alternative fuels considered in this study include petroleum refinery spent catalyst and clarified slurry oil sediments, scrap paper/wood, construction and demolition debris, scrap tires, wastewater treatment sludge (biosolids), plastics, and emerging materials, including scrap carpet and automobile shredder residue. The report is intended to provide information to state and federal regulators, trade associations, and other stakeholders to support and promote beneficial material reuse.

Measuring Performance

The Sector Strategy Program is reviewing existing EPA and cement industry data to identify a consistent set of environmental performance indicators.

Promoting Environmental Management Systems

Issue analysis for EMS initiatives are under development. Initial efforts will focus on preparing "business case" arguments for using environmental management systems.

Top of page

Resources

Trade Associations

Key Documents

Sector-related Links

EPA Sector Contacts

Headquarters
EPA Sector Strategies Program
Carl Koch
Cement Sector Lead, EPA Sector Strategies Program
Tel: (202) 566-2972
E-mail: Carl Koch (koch.carl@epa.gov)
 
Office of Solid Waste
Jana Englander
Team Leader for Cement Kiln Dust Rule
Tel: (703) 308-8711
E-mail: Jana Englander (englander.jana@epa.gov)

Office of Air and Radiation
Robin Segall
Senior Environmental Scientist
Tel: (919) 541-0893
E-mail: Robin Segall (segall.robin@epa.gov)

Top of page

Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation
Office of Cross-Media Programs | Sector Strategies Home | Top of Page

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.