Lanham, MD – The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) announced on July 18, 2016, that Ajax Paving Industries of Florida LLC of North Venice, FL is the winner of the 2015 Ecological Award for an existing plant. The award is sponsored by Roads & Bridges magazine. The company was recognized on Monday, July 18, 2016, at a ceremony honoring the Operations Excellence Award recipients during the NAPA mid-year meeting in Seattle.
“NAPA members strive for excellence beyond constructing high-quality asphalt pavements. The five categories of the Operational Excellence Awards — Asphalt Operations Safety Innovation, Community Involvement, Ecological, Outstanding Brochure and Outstanding Website — recognize a company’s commitment to operations that make them good contractors, good industry ambassadors and good neighbors,” said NAPA Chairman Kevin Kelly.
The Ecological Award recognizes asphalt plants whose streamlined production facilities improve productivity and safety. The goal is to demonstrate the asphalt industry’s concern for environmental issues, detail practical methods undertaken to promote environmental stewardship within a company and emphasize the inherent recyclability of asphalt pavements.
Ajax Plant 1 has existed on its current site for 17 years, but recently underwent upgrades and ecologically progressive changes and advancements. In 2014, Ajax Plant 1 began the $150,000 process of regrading and redesigning its stormwater retention systems. Since the new systems were put in place, turbidity numbers in the stormwater swales have decreased by about 35 percent, said Vince Hafeli, Vice President of Ajax Paving Industries of Florida.
“All of the plant’s mobile equipment wash water is captured in an on-site self-contained recirculating wash/treatment station where biological bacteria consumes the oil and contaminates,” Hafeli said. “It runs on a 12-18 month cycle in which an independent company is hired to vacuum all the water out of the system, which is then cleansed of sediment and debris. Everything is documented, tested and reported to the Department of Environmental Protection.”
“Dollar-wise this keeps us in compliance with no fines, “ Hafeli said. “When inspectors show up for the annual air compliance test, just the nature of how we take care of our facilities makes a statement to them. They say if you put that much effort and time in how you take care of the facility then you must also do quality work.”
“As for emissions, Ajax Plant 1 has always been on the winning side of compliance tests,” he said. The company’s Average Particulate Emissions (grains per standard cubic feet) on its most recent test was 0.0001, with the upper allowable limit being 0.04. He said the plant recently purchased new fuel tanks that are designed for added protection of the environment.
“Even though the fuel tanks are inside containment structures, we went to the added expense and bought double-walled tanks,” Hafeli said. “So it’s basically a double containment structure system that will catch any fuel before it gets out of the system into the groundwater.”
The plant’s entrance roads, the area surrounding the plant itself and the stockpile yard area are paved in an effort to control dust. The plant is surrounded by a golf community on one side and a new community just being built on the other side. The plant is on very good terms with the Board of Directors for the golf course community, noting Ajax Paving Industries donated $80,000 for landscaping and vegetation to beautify the community’s property.
“We talk to the community ahead of time to let them know what we’re doing and bring them in so they can see how changes will affect them either positively or negatively,” Hafeli said. “It goes a very long way. We have a very good image in this area, and we do a lot of community service and donations.”
“Another important step by Ajax Paving Industries to advance ecologically was establishing an in-house environmental compliance officer in 2014. This position has greatly improved monitoring and compliance issues for the company,” Hafeli said. “He keeps us out of trouble and keeps the facilities clean. He knows what to look for as far as how to store and not store chemicals.”