ENCI

In 1926, the company obtained an exploitation concession from the Dutch government for the extraction of Limburg marl on the Sint-Pietersberg, part of the Plateau van Caestert, just south of Maastricht.

Four years later, the so-called 'Peutzhal' was created, now AINSI, designed by Frits Peutz, who collaborated with De Ronde during this period, and the Dutch Portland cement factory in Vijlen was bought by the ENCI.

[1] From its inception, ENCI's shares have been largely owned by the Brussels-based company CBR (Cimenteries et Briquetteries Réunies de Bonne Espérance).

This company was acquired in 1993 by the German HeidelbergCement, an internationally operating group that is currently the fourth largest cement producer in the world.

Since the 1970s, criticism of the company has increased because more and more people found the activities of the quarry and the factory harmful to nature and the environment, in particular because of the degradation of the Sint-Pietersberg by excavation, the desiccation of the Jekerdal, which is partly due to the pumping of groundwater by ENCI, and the emission of harmful substances into the air, partly due to the co-firing of waste materials in the clinker kiln.

[5][4] In addition to the influence of the Albert Canal, ENCI's activities also contribute to the dehydration of the Jekerdal by pumping large quantities of groundwater from the quarry for marl extraction.

[4] With the cessation of marl mining and clinker production in Maastricht, the long-lasting struggle of local residents and environmental activists against the cement company has come to an end for the time being.

The Municipality of Maastricht and the Provincial Council of Limburg initially took a dual attitude, with the employment aspect being the deciding factor for many years.