When Black Mountain Cement initiated the process several years ago to develop a cement production plant in Grayson County, we had a vision of becoming a committed and integral part of a thriving community. It’s a vision that we still have today. Over these last few years, our team has enjoyed meeting with local officials and community leaders to share our plans and goals and listen to their feedback and concerns. The dialogue has been valuable as we worked for multiple years through the rigorous Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permitting process.
However, these past few months have shown that questions and concerns remain around our proposed project. Our team takes these concerns seriously, as our goal since day one has been to be transparent and responsive. We wanted to take this opportunity to address the recent concerns that have been raised, as well as correct some misinformation that has surfaced around the project.
First, what Black Mountain Cement is planning to develop is a state-of-the-art plant that will exceed environmental standards and utilize the best available emissions control technologies. Due to the important location of the plant, we will eliminate nitrous oxide emissions by two-thirds compared to traditional technologies by having Black Mountain Cement be the first greenfield facility in the United States to be built with a Selective Catalytic Reduction system. By using 100% clean-burning natural gas as a fuel and an advanced combustion system that will reduce waste heat, the plant will surpass both state and federal air emissions standards. We will also install high-efficiency dust filters that comply with the strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations put in place earlier this year.
One of the biggest concerns that we have heard from both community leaders and surrounding businesses is about blast mining, specifically the concern that the blasting might impact water quality as well as the operations of neighboring chip and silicon wafer manufacturers. The feedback we have heard on this issue has been vital, and we understand and appreciate the concerns. That is why this week we notified the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) we would be amending our permit and canceling our plans to conduct blast mining at this facility. Instead, we will utilize basic excavation methods like what is already being used in local construction for building commercial developments, municipal infrastructure, or local master planned community projects.
Ultimately, we believe our plant will bolster Grayson County’s continuing momentum to attract new business, including global technology players, by providing the cement that will be necessary for the infrastructure development required for that growth. With the large uptick in growth, North Texas is experiencing a systemic cement shortage and is increasingly relying on foreign cement imports, leading to higher costs and uncertainty around new construction. Our plant will provide the cement needed for North Texas to stay competitive in attracting new companies and new jobs and to build the required homes, other buildings, and highways.
Black Mountain Cement has spent considerable time and resources to permit and engineer our plant to adhere to the strict regulations and statutes that exist today. As proud Texans, we want to see the same processes that allowed our state to thrive for the last several decades to continue to be followed. We fear that any dismantling of the established procedures could lead Texas to experience the same over-regulation that’s currently hampering the states in which these residents and businesses are relocating from.
We are dedicated to bettering the communities in which we operate, and we want our plant to serve as a foundation for economic prosperity in Grayson County, with the creation of hundreds of local jobs that will generate millions in additional tax dollars for decades to come.
We deeply appreciate the ongoing dialogue with community leaders and other stakeholders and we look forward to continuing to work alongside them to turn our vision into a reality.
Jake Bender is a Principal at BM Cement
