Apr 11

Charah, Inc. Introduces “Project Mix” Lightweight Concrete Mix at Select Home Depot Stores

New Product Available in Select The Home Depot Stores in Virginia

Charah, Inc. has signed an agreement with The Home Depot® to sell Charah’s new patent-pending lightweight concrete mix, PROJECT MIX, in 20 Virginia locations beginning in April 2005. This exclusive marketing brand will only be available at The Home Depot.

Lightweight Product

Because of its unique manufacturing process, PROJECT MIX is a lighter product with the same concrete yields that consumers are accustomed to purchasing. For example, a 29 pound bag of Charah concrete mix will provide a concrete yield equivalent to that of a 40 pound regular concrete mix. PROJECT MIX is made with PriceLite® aggregate, a lightweight aggregate made from bottom ash, which dramatically increases the potential for beneficial use of both the bottom ash and fly ash that is produced by coal-burning utilities.

Innovative Packaging

Charah has developed innovative packaging for this new product, utilizing a patent pending totally sealed plastic bag with two handles, as opposed to a traditional paper bag. This packaging innovation is easier to lift and carry, less likely to break and much cleaner than traditional paper bags, making it attractive to retailers as well as consumers.

Jack Rheinhold, Concrete Products Merchant for Building Materials at The Home Depot said, “The new packaging is the most exciting, powerful innovation in the bagged concrete industry in 70 years. The sealed plastic bag is sturdy and the two handles make it very easy for our customers to transport. This exclusive product, PROJECT MIX, will benefit The Home Depot customer in several ways: it is lighter weight than other concrete mixes, maintaining American Standard Tested mix design and strength, it is a good value for our customers, and it is comprised of 55% recycled materials, which helps the environment.”

Recycled Content

Since the concrete mix is made with a recycled ash product that otherwise could end up in a landfill, the product is environmentally valuable as well. PROJECT MIX is comprised of 55% recycled materials.

According to Charles Price, President and CEO of Charah, Inc., “Charah prides itself in being a trendsetter in the ash management industry and a proven specialist in bottom ash recycling. Not only do we manage and operate landfills, process and market bottom ash materials, develop and operate structural fills, manage ash ponds and process IGCC slag for utilities, but we strive to find new ways to utilize coal combustion products to benefit both the utility industry and our environment. Our new lightweight concrete mix and its revolutionary packaging are examples of the innovative, environmentally conscious solutions we strive to provide.”

State-of-the-Art Production Facilities

The concrete mix is produced and bagged at a new Charah-owned and operated production plant in Emporia, Virginia, the first of several planned packaging plants for producing the company’s lightweight and other concrete products. The facility also serves as a warehouse and distribution center.

In addition to PROJECT MIX, Charah has developed additional products made with its lightweight PriceLite aggregate including TradeCraft Crack Resistant 5000 and PakMix Fast Setting Concrete Mix. These new lightweight concrete products and the full line of PakMix products will be available at all The Home Depot stores in Virginia. All products meet ASTM Standards.

About Charah

Charah®, Inc. is a leading ash management provider for the coal-fired electric utility industry. Based in Louisville, KY, Charah provides a complete line of ash management services including landfill construction, management & operations; bottom ash processing & marketing; fly ash sales; engineered fill applications; ash pond management; Integrated Gasification Combine Cycle (IGCC) slag beneficiation; gypsum handling, and limestone grinding and handling.

Charah is a charter member of the EPA’s Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2) which encourages beneficial use of coal by-products. In April 2005, Charah was awarded the C2P2’sfirst place award for Innovation by the EPA for outstanding achievement in increasing the amount of coal-combustion products (CCPs) beneficially used in its patent-pending ash-based packaged concrete.