Cement Manufacturing

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Map showing location of U.S. facilities in this sector; please click on the map to see a larger version.

Sector Profile
Performance Data and Trends for this Sector
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Sector Profile

While the Cement Manufacturing sector is exploring and beginning to implement less polluting means of producing cement, Portland cement remains the industry’s primary product and a key component in the making of concrete.

Portland cement is the generic term for a fine gray powder that binds sand and gravel into concrete. It is produced by combining exact proportions of limestone, clay, and sand, grinding them together, and then heating the mixture in a kiln to form an intermediate product called “clinker.” After cooling, clinker is ground with a small amount of gypsum into the Portland cement product.

Particulate matter (PM and PM-10), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the primary emissions from the manufacture of Portland cement.

The Cement Manufacturing sector is concentrated among a relatively small number of companies. Many U.S. cement plants are owned by or are subsidiaries of foreign companies. Together, 10 companies accounted for about 80 percent of total U.S. cement production in 2005. California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Alabama are the five leading cement-producing states and accounted for about 48 percent of recent U.S. production.

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