Firefighting apparatus is dwarfed by the Holcim US, formerly Lafarge North America, cement plant during the response to a fire in the alternative fuels system Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at 5160 Main St. in Whitehall Township.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Firefighters aided by a fire suppression system quickly brought a fire under control Tuesday afternoon at a cement plant along the Lehigh River, the company said.

Around 4:15 p.m., an electrician working in the Holcim US Whitehall Cement Plant, formerly Lafarge North America, at 5160 Main St. in Whitehall Township, noticed “a fire at the alternative fuels system,” a spokeswoman for the company told lehighvalleylive.com.

“At the same time, the alarm sounded in the control room and immediately activated the fire suppression system,” Jocelyn Gerst, vice president for Holcim US marketing and communications, said Tuesday night.

The Whitehall Township Fire Department was immediately called “and the fire was under control shortly thereafter,” Gerst said via email. The plant also notified the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, Gerst said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

“The health and safety of our employees and contractors is our number one priority, and we’re pleased to report that no employees were injured,” Gerst stated. “The Lafarge Whitehall plant has rigorous procedures in place to respond to fire-related emergencies. We are in the process of investigating the cause of the fire and assessing the damage.”

According to a Holcim US fact sheet on the Whitehall Cement Plant, the facility employs 80 people and dates to 1899, making it one of the oldest operating cement plants in the United States. It produces 14 types of cement, with the alternative fuels system replacing “traditional non-renewable fuels like coal and petroleum coke by 50%” and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 35% since 1990, the March 2022 fact sheet states.

“The Whitehall facility utilizes tires as part of the plant Alternative Fuels program,” the fact sheet states, putting consumption at 2 million tires per year to provide 30% of the plant’s fuel. A Selective Catalytic Reducer helps control emissions, according to the fact sheet.

Firefighting apparatus is dwarfed by the Holcim US, formerly Lafarge North America, cement plant during the response to a fire in the alternative fuels system Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at 5160 Main St. in Whitehall Township.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Firefighters respond to a fire in the alternative fuels system of the Holcim US, formerly Lafarge North America, cement plant Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at 5160 Main St. in Whitehall Township.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Firefighters respond to a fire in the alternative fuels system of the Holcim US, formerly Lafarge North America, cement plant Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at 5160 Main St. in Whitehall Township.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

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