Firm has won some honors

Despite its list of citations for violating standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cemex received a number of accolades last year honoring its environmental performance, including four from the EPA.

“This list is not all-inclusive but it highlights some of the major awards and recognition,” Cemex spokeswoman Sara Bouffard said this week.

In October 2015, the EPA -- the same agency issuing enforcement citations at 13 different Cemex facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico -- issued certificates to four Cemex facilities recognizing energy efficiency.

One of the honored plants was the company’s operation in Victorville northeast of the Santa Clarita Valley. The other three Cemex plants earning the EPA’s Energy Star certification operate in Miami, Fla, Clinchfield, Ga, and Fairborn, Ohio.

Cemex was recognized in the August 2015 Fortune magazine review of 50 companies for “a positive global impact in the

area of sustainability.” Cemex placed 16th on the magazine’s “Change the World” list.

The Mexico-based firm was named the only Latin America-based company on the list, and the only company from the construction materials sector.

A year ago the Cemex plant in Lyons, Colo., which remains in significant violation of some EPA standards, received a 2014 Energy & Environmental Award from the Portland Cement Association for achievements in energy efficiency, land stewardship and outreach.

The Portland Cement Association identifies itself as an industry advocate for sustainability.

The same group presented similar awards to the Cemex plant in Brooksville, Fla.

A month after its acknowledgment from the EPA, Cemex garnered special recognition by a Maryland-based wildlife group called the Wildlife Habitat Council.

The Council issued Cemex with “Conservation Certification” for its conservation education programs, superior management of wildlife enhancement, and land stewardship projects. The company maintains 14 facilities with councilcertified programs.

The projects include large-scale prairie and wetland restoration, individual species management and native planting projects.

Each year, more than 3,000 students learn about the environment at the company’s “outdoor classrooms,” according to company literature.