Redland Brick Goes the Extra Mile for the Environment
With all the criticism of the manufacturing industry's
supposed lack of commitment to protection of the
environment, it's worth noting that the brick
manufacturing sector has a decidedly positive story to
tell in this area. As a result, a number of astute
observers recognize that the clay brick industry is one
of the more environmentally-friendly manufacturing
sectors. When considering such factors as the product
lifecycle, as well as the careful ways in which brick
manufacturers obtain raw material and manufacture the
product, it's clear that brick manufacturers care deeply
about preservation of the environment. One of the latest
illustrations of this stewardship is the lengths to
which Redland Brick went to protect a local wetlands
area and regulated trout stream at its new Harmar plant
in Cheswick, Pennsylvania. (Click
here to see a photo of the fishing path in the wetlands
area adjacent to the Redland Brick plant.)
Wetlands are defined by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency as an area inundated, or saturated, by
surface or groundwater at a frequency to support a
prevalence of vegetation... generally including swamps
and marshes. As made clear below, wetlands perform
valuable service to the ecosystem; in fact, the EPA
estimates that up to one-half of North American bird
species nest or feed in wetlands, and that wetlands
serve as home to 31 percent of America's plant species.
At the time at which Redland was developing plans for
the Harmar plant's construction, executives identified a
high quality, pristine wetland area near the expected
construction site. The wetland was found to be fed by
underground water, most likely coming from one of the
numerous coal mines that commonly appear in western
Pennsylvania. Test studies determined that this water
was safe for entry into a local trout stream, despite
the facts that the water was iron-rich, and actually had
an orange tint upon its initial release from
underground. But the wetland acts as a filter. So, after
the water works its way through the wetland, the water
becomes clear as it departs and enters the trout stream.
Redland recognized the importance of this critical
function performed by the wetland. In order to preserve
this, Redland altered the layout of its plant designs so
that the new plant would not adversely impact either the
wetland or the critical function the wetland served.
Additionally, Redland wanted to timber along the trout
stream to the water's edge in order to maximize the
plant's storage area; however, management also respected
the importance of maintaining the riparian buffer (tree
buffer) along the trout stream. This buffer serves to
help control sediment from runoff that enters the trout
stream and also shades the stream's water; this helps
maintain the water temperature necessary for supporting
the trout population. So, management elected to reduce
the amount of total storage area so as to maintain the
riparian buffer.
Finally, Redland made provisions to allow the general
public (fisherman, and the like) to continue to enjoy
the area for recreational purposes. Redland fenced in
its property short of the riparian buffer so that the
general public could continue to enjoy this scenic area.
In short: Redland Brick went to considerable trouble,
and expense, to safeguard the environment, enhance the
wetlands, and ensure public access to the trout stream.
This is simply another example of the brick industry's
responsible stewardship of America's environment.
This article was published in the October 2003 issue of
BIA's magazine Brick News.
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