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History

In April 2008, the New Hanover County Commissioners voted to give Titan America, a Greek cement company, 4.2 million tax payer dollars as an enticement to open a local cement facility.  New Hanover County was experiencing a high unemployment rate, and Titan claimed they would provide jobs.

Once residents found out that their tax money was going to a foreign cement company that would undoubtedly increase air and water pollution while also destroying 1000’s of acres of wetlands, there was a huge public outcry.  A grassroots organization named Stop Titan was formed.  The group held a series of meetings addressing the health and environmental risks associated with Titan, and Titan held meetings of their own discussing economic growth and new jobs for the area. Titan Cement is a foreign company that wants to be stationed on the Cape Fear River due to its limestone quarry.  They say we have a need for cement in North Carolina and that it is likely we will have a need for construction and transportation. They also claim they will provide approximately 160 new jobs at its plant in Castle Hayne. In particular, it has been reported that these jobs would pyramid into 720 new jobs within the county, and it would bring an additional $235 million dollars of economic activity to the county. Their claim to positive economic growth in NHC is the only leg they can stand on, and this leg does not provide much support. 

According to an extensive economic impact study by Dr. Craig S. Galbraith, MBA, PhD, and UNCW professor, the economic modeling used for Titan’s proposed cement plant is flawed.  The numbers were obtained using a hypothetical computer model, which have been shown to vastly overestimate the actual economic impact of a new manufacturing and production facility.  The conclusion of Dr. Galbraith’s study is that Titan’s presence in NHC may actually decrease county-wide employment and long- term economic activity and result in a decrease in resident consumer spending and associated sales tax collection. Also, of the 160 proposed Titan employees, it is suggested that there would only be a net gain of 46 employees (out of the 720 proposed by Titan).

Another of Titan’s claims is that during operations, they will make sure no industrial or process water discharges will be released into surface water or groundwater.  But in July 2007, Titan’s mining permit at their South Florida plant was revoked.  The ruling was based in part on evidence that their particular mining processes may have contaminated nearby wells with benzene, a class I carcinogen.   Why would we even risk having our drinking water contaminated when we are not even sure where we will get our water 50 years from now?

New Hanover County currently ranks 6th in NC for mercury emissions.  Coal-fired plants, such as the proposed Titan facility, emit mercury as a byproduct.  Mercury in our atmosphere causes severe health problems such as brain damage, cancer, poor lung growth and increased rate of asthma in children.  There are 8,700 children enrolled in schools within 5 miles of Titan’s property.  Over 450 Wilmington medical professionals have stated their opposition to the proposed Titan Cement facility because of the health risks it poses to contaminate our food supply, our air and our drinking water.

Titan is currently asking for 263lbs/yr emissions in their air permit while the new proposed EPA limit for mercury emissions is 30lbs/yr.  Titan has claimed they will meet the new proposed EPA standards, yet they have not provided any documentation of how they will meet these standards.  To find out more about Titan and Stop Titan efforts visit Stoptitan.org.

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