ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

The East African Portland Cement Company believes that while the development process brings about socio-economic advancement, it need not be environmentally destructive. We firmly believe that industrial development should be environment-friendly and sustainable.
To contribute to environmental conservation, we routinely plant trees around our environs and also run a programme of reclaiming disused quarries.

THE ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Initiated in 2002, the programme’s goal was to identify and implement environmental management projects and ensure compliance with the Environment Management and Coordination Act (EMCA, 1999) and other regulatory policies.

The programme was expanded later to include safety and health aspects, hence the establishment of the Safety, Health and Environment Section under the Works Department.

PROJECTS UNDER THE PROGRAMME

1. Environment management

1. Rehabilitation of quarries.
2. Greening of the factory premises through tree planting.
3. Compliance with environmental regulations -- Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environment Audits.
4. Promote Corporate Social Responsibility through environment projects.
5. Eco-tourism development projects (proposal).
6. Waste and environment pollution reduction.

Achievements

1. Rehabilitation of about 40 acres of abandoned/disused quarries.
2. Restoration of degraded habitats in the disused quarries – approximately 50 acres re-vegetated with about 6,000 trees blended with Savanna grass cover.
3. Carrying out annual environmental audits.
4. Implementation of environmental audit recommendations.
5. Reaching out to the community through environment-related Corporate Social Responsibility projects, such as donation of tree seedlings and water provision.

2. Health and Safety

 We are committed to ensuring our employees work in a safe and healthy environment. We have implemented safety and health interventions as outlined below:

1. Develop, coordinate and implement health and safety projects.
2. Provision of Personal Protective Equipment to staff.
3. Organising occupational medical examination events for staff.
4. Carrying out internal health and safety audits.
5. Organising health and safety training, including emergency response to fire and other accidents, as well as first aid administration.
6. Controlling waste disposal and pollution within the factory.
7. Documentation of accident incidences.

Achievements

1. Improvement in compliance with the Factory Act and other regulations.
2. Improvement in the provision of safety gear to staff.
3. Conducting annual Occupational Medical Examination.
4. Construction of an oil interceptor at the garage (on-going).
5. Carrying out of safety risk assessments for factory staff. 
6. Improved documentation of accident incidences.

3. Corporate Social Responsibility

• The One Billion Tree Campaign

We have joined Prof Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Prize Winning environmentalist, in her One Billion Tree planting campaign this year. In June, we donated 6,000 seedlings to the Njoro Golf Club to help in reafforesting the Mau Forest. We also gave another donation of 3,000 seedlings to the Nyahururu Golf Club for the afforestation of the Marmanet Forest.
Our staff joined officials of the clubs and local communities in planting the seedlings on 6th and 7th June 2007. On 8th June 2007, we celebrated the World Environment Day by mobilising staff to plant about 1,000 trees within the factory premises and the Kunkur Quarry area.

• Communal water harvesting and provision

We have created two rainwater weirs at the Kabini Quarry for use by the local community. From the weirs, the community fetches water for domestic use and for their livestock.
The weirs also act as soil erosion checks, as well as cooling buffers. We also provide water to the local community from the four boreholes we have sunk for their use.

• Kasoito slum footbridge 

We are in the process of constructing a footbridge for the neighbouring Kasoito slum, which is usually cut off during rainy seasons when the Kitengela and Ngong rivers burst their banks. The footbridge will minimise the risk of the residents drowning while attempting to cross the swollen rivers. 

QUARRY LAND RECLAMATION

Raw materials for cement manufacturing are extracted from land set aside for that purpose. This results in deformed landscapes, with gaping chasms, deep troughs and rugged terrains. To restore the land form, we have taken the following measures:

(a) Rehabilitation of disused quarries

Quarries that are no longer in use are filled with rocky pebbles, landscaped using top soil and then planted with various tree species, including Acacia xanthophloea, Schinus molle and Casuarina equisetifolia.
Besides improving the aesthetic value of the land, the trees act as carbon and dust trapping sinks, hence reduction of atmospheric loads. 

(b) Integrating mining and environmental management

We backfill the troughs caused by mining soon after extracting the materials to minimise the adverse effects on the environment. This approach is referred to as back-to-back mining.

(c) Research and development

We encourage research and development for effective quarry rehabilitation. We carry out collaborative research with Kenyatta University’s School of Environmental Studies with the help of Ph.D students.  

WASTE AND POLLUTION MANAGEMENT 

(a) Atmospheric pollution control

We have taken steps to ensure minimal dust and gaseous emission from our plant. Our production line is installed with pollutant substance trapping and suppression systems to control dust and other substance emissions into the environment.
Trees and vegetation around the production area act as carbon and dust traps. 

(b) Solid waste management

There is an on-going solid waste management project aimed at handling (sorting and disposal) of solid waste (scrap metal, wooden scrap and plastic matter) in the factory. We are in the process of improving waste collection, storage and disposal.

(c) Effluent management

We have upgraded our main sewerage line, which is connected to the Mavoko Municipal Council sewerage system. In addition, waste oil handling structures (oil interceptors) are being constructed at the oil handling sites to facilitate safe and easy disposal.