Want to reduce traffic congestion? Get on the boat.
This is exactly what CalPortland’s DuPont plant does with stunning results. This aggregate mining operation, located beside the Puget Sound, ships 80 percent of its material by barge. Each barge carries the equivalent of 150 to 200 truck-and-trailer loads of material, reducing the number of vehicles on the road.
Recognizing this achievement, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) honored CalPortland’s DuPont plant with a Gold Award on Jan. 6. This is NSSGA’s highest honor for superior performance in environmental stewardship.
“CalPortland makes environmental leadership as well as energy efficiency vital elements of our core culture,” said Allen Hamblen, CalPortland’s CEO. “This award acknowledges the contributions that are continually being made by every CalPortland employee.”
CalPortland, an AWB member since 1986, is the primary source of construction aggregates for the Puget Sound region. Ninety‐eight percent of the material from the DuPont mine is used locally, from Olympia to Everett.
Established in 1992, NSSGA’s awards provide national recognition for NSSGA producer aggregate producers actively contributing to the maintenance of the environment in and around their operations. Award winners meet and exceed technical, environmental and regulatory requirements.
“Despite the continuing economic challenges this year, the responses from our member companies represent exemplary efforts of their employees on behalf of the aggregates industry,” said Joy Wilson , president and CEO of the NSSGA. “We are so pleased to be able to recognize these operations whose achievements in the fields of safety, environment, and community relations remind us of the important role the aggregates industry plays in ensuring a greater quality of life in America.”