Regulating Concrete Batch Plants

Concrete Batch Plants are Highly Regulated by the TCEQ
September 2021
 

Concrete, an essential construction material that supports Texas’ tremendous growth, is one of the oldest and most utilized building materials in the world. Nearly all buildings – commercial and residential – owe their structural integrity to concrete. 

TACA member companies are responsible for bringing this essential material to Texans. To do this, concrete batch plant operators must undergo a robust permitting process by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), which includes a rigorous environmental review and public comment period. Concrete batch plants operate under a set of regulations that ensure  the protection of the most sensitive surrounding populations.

TCEQ’s air permitting process was developed through extensive data analysis incorporating modeling, sampling, monitoring and toxicological data. TCEQ’s assumptions are highly conservative, and ensure emissions from the plant do not result in a violation of the US EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). 

Crystalline Silica
Crystalline silica – one of the most abundant minerals in the earth’s crust – is naturally found in stone, soil, sand, concrete, brick, mortar and other construction materials. TCEQ has determined that the community exposure risk to crystalline silica at concrete batch plants is negligible. The Commission’s revised Standard Air Quality Permit for Concrete Batch Plants issued on September 22, 2021 reinstates an exemption from emissions and distance limitations in 30 Texas Administrative Code Section 116.610(a). This means the TCEQ has determined that concrete batch plants meeting the requirements of the Standard Permit are protective of human health and the environment. For more science-based information on the regulation of crystalline silica, please visit TCEQ’s report, “Crystalline Silica: Ambient Air Monitoring and Evaluation of Community Health Impacts Near Aggregate Production Operations”. 

TACA members strive to be good community partners. In addition to adhering to myriad state and federal regulations, they voluntarily limit the environmental impact of their operations by incorporating best management practices to further mitigate airborne emissions, noise control and truck traffic, such as planting vegetation, modifying work practices and enhancing perimeter fencing.

In addition, TACA members abide by municipal zoning jurisdictions. TACA members work very closely with all levels of government, as well as with the communities in which they live and operate.