Residents opposed to a cement plant in Castle Hayne protested outside of the old New Hanover County Courthouse in Downtown Wilmington. They have a petition with thousands of signatures for the County Commission.

The protesters are members of the group Citizens Against Titan. Carolinas Cement, a subsidiary of Titan America is proposing the cement plant. The folks who gathered are concerned about the possible negative environmental impacts of a cement plant.

The petition has about five thousand signatures gathered in what the group says is a short amount of time.

Carolinas Cement was offered a tax incentive by the County to build here. Representatives from the company say the new plant will bring much needed jobs.

"The opposition has done a good job of making a lot of noise and getting a lot of bad information out there," Carolinas Cement General Manager Bob Odom said. "We have said from day one we are going to meet all the current standards and any future standards. Once the plant is open it’s going to be a brand new plant. We’re going to be paying $2 million in taxes. We’re going to bring in 160 good paying jobs to the plant."