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Organization: South Coast Air Quality Management District
Date: March 6, 2009
AQMD's Amended Rule to Further Reduce Emissions from Cement Plants Expected to Benefit Public Health
Revised Regulation Reduces Emissions from Outdoor Material Storage and Requires Additional Monitoring and Analysis of Cancer-Causing Hexavalent Chromium
The South Coast Air Quality Management District today strengthened an
existing regulation that will further reduce particulate matter emissions
(PM10), as well as the toxic chemical, hexavalent chromium, from cement
manufacturing facilities.
The new regulation stems from the air quality agency's discovery last year of
elevated levels of hexavalent chromium in dust blowing from the TXI Riverside
Cement Co. in Rubidoux, one of two cement plants in the area.
Additional sampling traced these emissions to the loading, unloading and
transferring of "clinker" material – a primary component that helps form
cement and is comprised of limestone and other materials.
"AQMD has spent months working with those in the cement industry and the
residents who live in the vicinity to strengthen this rule," said AQMD
Governing Board Chairman William A. Burke, Ed.D. "We are confident these
well-thought out measures will reduce emissions from these facilities and
provide public health protection."
The other cement plant affected by the amended rule, California Portland
Cement Co. in Colton, will cover open storage piles of clinker material with
tarps and build wind barriers. TXI Riverside Cement Co. no longer has this
type of operation. In addition, ambient air monitoring from both cement
operators is now required, along with a compliance monitoring plan for
hexavalent chromium. Each facility will collect and analyze hundreds of
samples per year. If elevated chrome levels occur, the rule contains
contingency measures that would require full enclosure of clinker piles.
The new regulation also calls for wind monitoring with a two-hour halt
on "clinker" material handling if wind gusts exceed 25 m.p.h.
Rule 1156 was originally adopted in November of 2005 and requires cement
manufacturing facilities to comply with specific requirements applicable to
various operations. It required cement manufacturing facilities to control dust
from open storage piles, internal roadways, and various processes including
loading and unloading, transferring, crushing, screening and milling, and
storage of materials.
In an enforcement action against TXI, a settlement between AQMD and the
Texas-based company was announced in June 2008. Under the terms of the
settlement, TXI paid $600,000 in penalties and cost reimbursement to AQMD
and will also incur an additional $400,000 in costs to implement several
measures to reduce dust emissions at the plant.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
