Building public support for a major expansion; The Ash Grove Chanute plant success story.

摘要

In September 1998, Ash Grove Cement Company announced that it would invest $160rnmillion in a new plant to be constructed on the site of its old plant in Chanute, KS. Fromrnthe outset, Ash Grove wanted to do what was necessary to insure that there would be norncostly interruptions in the project resulting from a failure to communicate properly withrnkey publics.rnThe construction and operation of the new plant is expected to have a decades-long,rnmulti-million dollar impact on the local economy through increased taxes, good jobs andrnpurchases of goods and services.rnAsh Grove and community leaders also knew that construction would put strains on therncommunity with added traffic, noise, and dust; shortages of housing; pressure on schoolsrnand local services; and, for some, fears about the completed plant’s continued use ofrnhazardous waste fuel.rnWith these potentially damaging factors in mind, Ash Grove adopted a communicationsrnplan submitted by Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods (CJRW) which was designed tornbuild public support for the multi-million dollar project, minimize opposition and avoidrnpotentially costly disruptions caused by local misunderstandings and fears.rnZachry Construction Company began work on the expansion in the fall of 1999, and as ofrnthe end of January 2001 the project was on schedule for completion in the spring. Duringrnthis period, there were no delays and the Kansas Department of Health and Environmentrnhad issued Ash Grove an air permit and a modified RCRA Part B permit allowing thernplant to continue using waste fuel. Public opinion remained solidly behind the project.