GRAYSON COUNTY, Tex. -- Last February, a then-proposed asphalt plant just east of Pottsboro caused plenty of concern among residents about possible health hazards. Today the plant is still operational under new management, and is now using a new system that owners hope will help alleviate those concerns.

The hot mix plant in Pottsboro caused plenty of controversy a year and half ago but since January, RK Hall Construction has made it a goal to keep this facility environmentally friendly.

It was a flood of controversy last year when Joe Rushing of Rushing Paving completed the new hot mix plant off FM 120, but he sold the plant to RK Hall Construction in December. That was when new management decided their first priority would be to find a better way to make the plant more efficient and environmentally friendly.

An upgrade around $100,000 has allowed the plant to create the mix at lower temperatures. They say that cuts down on the emissions that raised so many concerns, staying well below the limits set out by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Brad Bankston with RK Hall Construction says they were aware of the debate over the plant last year, but they feel confident that their new warm mix technology will lead to better production on the roads and happier neighbors around the plant.

"Prior to the acquisition, we actually seeked out the new technology and what we would be able to do with it once we took control of the company and how we could move forward," Bankston says.

Officials with RK Hall Construction say their goal now is to use a lot more recyclable materials in their daily operations.