Opinion

By Jake Bender Black Mountain 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 […]