The Town of Cochrane is a fast-growing community and requires about 33,000 m3 of concrete annually to support the current level of development. Cochrane does not currently have local concrete batching capabilities, requiring all concrete needed for new houses, schools, sidewalks or any other development to be trucked in. This puts strain on roadways, increases the emissions associated with shipping and adds time and costs to local development projects.

Heidelberg Materials is proposing to construct a ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant towards the centre of the Cochrane Aggregates pit, in an area that has already been mined. The advantage of this is no new soil, vegetation or habitat disturbance will be required to accommodate the footprint. The proposed plant will take up approximately 4 ha of space within the pit, relatively close to the centre allowing for significant setbacks from the Bow River and James Walker Trail. The plant will be capable of producing concrete at a rate of 80-100 m3/hr and will utilize aggregate (washed sand and gravel) directly from the Cochrane pit.

Heidelberg Materials is currently developing applications for all the required permits associated with a RMC Plant at this location. This includes two authorizations from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (AEPA) and one permit from the Town of Cochrane.

• AEPA – Code of Practice for Concrete Producing Plants Registration.
• AEPA – Code of Practices for Pits Updated Activities Plan
• Town of Cochrane – Development Permit

Technical studies have been conducted to assess and evaluate the potential impact of the RMC plant. Results of these environmental assessments, conducted by a third-party consultant, have been incorporated into the applications so the Town can review the potential benefits and impacts of the project and ensure alignment with municipal bylaws, goals and objectives. Feedback from the community will also be considered in this application prior to submission.

Hours of Operation

Maximum operating hours are Monday to Friday: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM and Saturday and holidays: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

However, the RMC plant hours will generally run with the existing aggregate pit hours, which are:

• Winter months
  • Monday to Friday: 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Summer months
  • Monday to Friday: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Saturday: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM (when required)

Proposed Mitigation Plans for the RMC Plant

• The plant will be enclosed in a building to reduce noise and air quality impacts.
• Plant building emissions will be collected by the pneumatic system that is determined to have a 99.8% collection efficiency for all particle sizes and emitted through the Silotop filtration system.
• Traffic controls (e.g., signs, beacon lights) will be installed at the roundabout crosswalks along James Walker Trail to enhance pedestrian safety and ensures drivers navigating the roundabout are aware of pedestrians, even in truck blind spots, and provides additional visibility during low-light conditions.