Big River Steel Earns LEED Certification FINAL · 2019-12-18 · LEED certification for its...
Transcript of Big River Steel Earns LEED Certification FINAL · 2019-12-18 · LEED certification for its...
FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
BigRiverSteelBecomesFirstSteelProductionProcesstoAchieveLEEDCertification
ProductionProcessandCampusRecognizedforCommitmenttoSustainability
March1,2017(Osceola,Arkansas)–Aspartofitsgrandopeningceremony,BigRiverSteelannouncedthatithasbeenrecognizedasthefirststeelproductionfacilitytobeLEEDcertifiedbasedonitsenvironmentalsustainabilityeffortsandenergyefficiencyperformance.AchievingLEEDcertificationforitssteelmakingprocessputsBigRiverSteelintheuniquepositionofbeingthefirstproducerofsteelintheworldtobeLEEDcertifiedbytheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil,whichdevelopedtheLEED(LeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign)ratingsystem.LEED(LeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign)isinternationallyrecognizedandthemostwidelyusedgreenbuildingratingsystemdevelopedbytheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil(USGBC),thatevaluatesbuildingsandprocessloadsthataredesigned,constructed,maintainedandoperatedwithafocusonenvironmentalandhumanhealthattributes.BigRiverSteel’scommitmenttosustainableprinciplesallowedittobenefitfromacampusapproachtoLEEDcertificationwhichdocumentedsite-widesustainableperformance.BigRiverSteel’sFlexMill™,asteelmillthatcombinesthewideproductmixandsuperiorgradecapabilitiesofamoretraditionalintegratedsteelmillwiththenimblenessandtechnologicaladvancementsofthenewermoretechnologically-advancedminimills,brokegroundinJuly2014andbeganproductionin2016.WorkingwiththeenvironmentalandenergyconsultantsatEmeraldBuiltEnvironmentsthroughoutthebuildprocesskeptsustainabilityattheforefrontofpriorities.“RespectingtheenvironmentandsafeguardingthewelfareofourteammemberswhilebuildingaprofitableenterpriseisatthecoreofwhatitmeanstobeaFlexMill™.Asmoresteelconsumerslooktosourcefromsteelproducersthatnotonlyrecyclebutalsodosowithafocusonsustainability,BigRiverSteelwillbewellpositioned,”saidDaveStickler,chiefexecutiveofficerofBigRiverSteel.WorkingwithBigRiverSteel’sleadtechnologysupplier,SMSgroupheadquarteredinGermany,EmeraldBuiltEnvironmentsandBigRiverSteelprocessingengineersanalyzedandmodeledthe
FlexMill’s™operationscomparedtoothersteelproductionfacilitiestodeterminetheenergyefficiencyofBigRiverSteel’sproductionprocess.Theuseofvariablespeedmotorsthroughoutthecompactstripproduction(CSP)processalongwiththeinstallationofacomprehensivesetofenergysavingtoolsthroughouttheoperationwerethemajorfactorsthatledtoBigRiverSteelbeingthefirststeelmakingfacilitytoearnaLEEDcertification."BigRiverSteelhasshowntremendousleadershipwiththeirinnovativeworkandtechnologicaladvancesinsustainablepracticesthroughtheuseofLEED,”saidMaheshRamanujam,presidentandCEOoftheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil.“IndustrialfacilitieshavebecomeacornerstoneforthegreenbuildingmovementthankstothegrowingadoptionofLEEDandsustainablepracticesinthissector."
###AboutBigRiverSteel:BigRiverSteelislocatedon1,300acresinOsceola,Arkansas.ThesiteisborderedontheeastbytheMississippiRiverandonthewestbyamainlinerailroadoperatedbyBNSF.The$1.3billionFlexMill™combinesthebestofintegratedmillsandminimills.AboutEmeraldBuiltEnvironments:EmeraldBuiltEnvironmentsisaninternationalconsultingcompanywithexpertiseinbusiness,sustainability,engineeringandbuildingscience.Thecompanyworkswithbuildingownersanddevelopers,andtheirdesign,constructionandoperationsteamsusingintegrateddecision-makingtoalignrecognizedindustrystandardsandcertificationswiththeowner’sperformancemetricsandfinancialgoals.