Public voices concerns about proposed cement plant

NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Tuesday night the Army Corps of Engineers gave people the chance to ask questions and voice concerns about the proposed Castle Hayne Titan America cement plant. The comments will be considered before the corps drafts an environmental impact statement about building along the Northeast Cape Fear River.

For many people who have concerns about a proposed plant, the list goes on and on. “Air quality, aquaphor potential, transportation, construction noise, etc.,” said Clem Bribitzer of Hampstead.

Henry Wicker with the Army Corps of Engineers said, “We will permit the least environmental damaging, practicable alternative.”

The Corps of Engineers is a neutral player, looking at both the environmental and economic impacts of the proposed plant. Wicker said public input is crucial. “There’s things out there that they have concerns about that we may not know about,” he said.

Athena and Bill Brown of Castle Hayne attended with meeting with a list of concerns and questions. Athena said, “We’re just concerned about the environment, not just for ourselves, but for generations coming up.”

Several people, including Bribitzer, shared the same concern about 600 acres of potentially affected wetlands. He said, “I suspect there are many other areas of the East Coast that have transportation and limestone but do not have wetlands.”

Jay Willis, a project manager for Titan America, said the proposed location is already zoned for a cement plant, since one was on the site nearly 20 years ago. There’s already an existing quarry and rail service and it’s near a major highway, river, and port.

Corps of Engineers representatives say keep the questions and concerns coming – they want everyone’s voice to be heard.

Send questions, comments, and concerns to be considered in the Army Corps of Engineers’ envionrmental impact statement to:

Henry Wicker
P.O. Box 1800
Wilmington, NC 28402

Send emails to Henry.M.Wicker.Jr@USACE.Army.mil