EPA Rules All Pre-2005 Cement Kilns Exempt From Mercury Control Rules - LA Times

[hatrack]

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday it would not require cement manufacturers — including the nation's largest emitter, in Tehachapi, Calif. — to upgrade plants to control mercury. Cement kilns are an integral part of the building boom in Southern California and elsewhere, turning raw limestone and waste ash from coal plants into the material used to build highways, tract homes and commercial developments.

Mercury, which can be emitted when stone or coal ash is processed, is a potent neurotoxin that can harm developing brains. The emissions also pollute water bodies. Environmental groups that sued under the federal Clean Air Act to force tighter controls said the decision ignored two court orders.

The EPA's ruling will require kilns built in December 2005 and onward to limit and measure actual emissions. The agency said that would reduce emissions by as much as 3,000 pounds, in an industry estimated to emit 6.6 tons of mercury annually. But the regulators said that upgrading existing plants would be too costly for industry and the resulting air-quality improvements would be too scant. Parts of the decision, signed late Friday by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, closely follow industry requests to the agency. Industry officials also met with White House staffers Nov. 30 to discuss the pending decision, and EPA staffers phoned in to the meeting, records show. (emphasis added)

EDIT

Representatives of three California cement plants declined to comment Monday, and staff for the Portland Cement Assn. did not return phone calls. Portland cement is the mostly widely produced and used type of cement.

EDIT

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cement12dec12,0,7688748.story

[HereSince1628]

1. Don't worry, the BEFEE doesn't expect US industry to survive long enough

to do REAL environmental damage with these rulings.

:eyes:

[havocmom]

2. Makes ya wonder why they wanna close down EPA Libraries

and prevent scientists from accessing data from the research of others.

Don't want any smart people putting some facts together about the shit they are allowing and how much damage it will all do in the long run? If we raise a fuss about policy, pointing out the dangers, they dare us to 'prove it' and then they lock up all the research information so we can't.

Don't know why the dinosaurs went extinct, but it is greed and arrogance that will do in humans.

[NotGivingUp]

3. i don't understand why they are allowed to get away with all this shit

[havocmom]

4. Cuz up to now, no one stood up and said no. Well, new sheriff comin to town, and...

Big task is to get these things out there in the minds of the citizens and as topics of discussion. We are making progress in that direction, but there is still too much diversion of attention by media. Too much focus on circus and not enough substance.

We help by making more aware of the shit that is going down and why it is going down.

When the people lead, the leaders WILL follow.