Cement, Energy and Environment July-Sep 2002

In early June, EPA and the Office of Management and Budget said they would collaborate to make curb ing pollution from non-road diesel vehicles and equipment a top priority. All en Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, says such a regulation has been in the works for some time. Schaeffer says that off-road diesel emissions account for 3.3% of all fine particles in the a ir. And although that may seem like a small percentage, the emiss ions from on– road equ ipment have fallen so drama ti cally that it ha s put a spotlight on off-road equipment, he says. One area of di screpancy be tween on-and off-hi ghway equipment is required to use a cleaner-burn ing diesel. A small number of aggregate companies have both on-and off– highway equipment. For many of those it means storing two separate fue ls. It is very burdensome to maintain separate fueling systems, says Johan Hayden, National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association vice president ofenvironmental services . "That's one thing und er consideration," Schaeffer says of EPA opting to eliminate off-road fuel. He says it appears the on-road fuel has no adverse effect on off– road fue l. Schaeffer says it is hard to quantify the cost difference between the two fuel s because of varying reg iona l market condi ti ons . However. he estimates that nationally, off-road diesel fuel costs about 6 ce nts less per gallon than its on-road counterpart. Courtesy: Rock Products, Ju/.2002 Pp 10 & I.J, l-ax: 3121726 .J/07, 3121726 - 257-1 E-mail: marklay@primcdiabusi11ess.com IVeb: www rockproducts.com MANDATORY SPRINKLERS lN CEMENT PLANTS DEFEATED The Codes and Standards staff of the Portland Cement Association (PC/\) success full y defeated a proposal to require sprinklers in cement plants. The internationa l Fire Code Comm ittee had recommended approval of a code change to the International Building code that would mandate that all Group F (manufacturing plants of low-hazard materials) occupancies install automatic sprinkler systems when they exceed 12.000 sq ft per fl oor or are more than three stories above grade. PC/\ staff tes tifiecl in oppositi on to the code cha nge . citi ng the lack of substantiating fire data to support the code change. which would add substantial cost to new or remodeled cement plants. In response to the committee' s approval of the change, a survey was sent to PCA's 11 9 member-company plants to determine whethe r automatic sprinkler systems were provided. Of the 66 survey forms that were returned, it was determined that only II (or 17%) we re equipped wit h automatic sprinkler systems. This in fo rmation resulted in maintaining current code provisions that exempt cement plants from the sprinkler requirements when they are separated from property lines by a mi ni mum of 60 ft. Courtesy: Cement Americas, E-mail: .July-Aug. 2002, Pp II&12. Fax: 312- 726-.J/07 sprokopy@ primediabusiness. com URL: 11'11'11'. cememamericas.com .. _