Employees at MPM’s Spartan Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) Plant hosted 17 inspectors from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE) on August 25. MPM worked in conjunction with the Asphalt Paving Association of Michigan (APAM) on this novel event.

The visiting group mostly consisted of new employees from the Department of Air Quality Division of EGLE, who often travel to asphalt plants to check and inspect the measures taken to reduce asphalt emissions around the plant.

“It’s one thing to set a regulation, it’s another to know how something is made and to understand if that regulation is achievable,” said John Peters, MPM HMA Manager. “We wanted to bring them in so they could understand the process and get an up-close look at the process and understand what’s needed on our end in the way of safety.”

Before the tour, the visitors listened to a talk from Peters, along with MPM Plant Superintendent Josh Nellis, MPM Assistant HMA Manager Jeff Reed, and APAM Executive Director Brett Stanton. There was also a safety talk given by Susan Kandell, MPM Field Safety Coordinator. The men discussed how an HMA plant operates and walked through the production process from start to finish.

“Asphalt Plant Day is an opportunity to get together with our partners at EGLE and provide them with a detailed look at how asphalt plants operate and talk about how asphalt mixtures are made, at a world-class facility like the one here at MPM’s Spartan Site. It was a great turnout and a nice chance to both educate and learn from the staff at EGLE”, said Chuck Mills, Director of Engineering at APAM said in an email update published by the organization.

Nellis and Reed lead the walking tour, guiding the guests around the plant, pointing out the baghouse, drum, silos, and conveyor belts that are essential to the HMA process. Visitors even got to watch the plant load a truck and commented that it was a quicker process than they imagined.

Following the tour, students returned to the tent to listen to 31-year veteran of the Department of Air Quality Dan McGeen discuss what their department looks for when they make their visits to asphalt plants, and to answer questions about the processes.