All News Releases By Date

 

EPA Region 7 Reaches Agreement with Cement Manufacturer; Plant Improvements to Reduce Air Pollution in St. Louis Area

Release Date: 09/18/2008
Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, [email protected]

---

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 18, 2008) - EPA Region 7 has negotiated a legal agreement with a St. Louis area portland cement manufacturer to upgrade its facilities in a way that should cut the plant's annual particulate matter air emissions in the surrounding metro area by nearly 43 tons.

River Cement Company, doing business as Buzzi Unicem USA, will pay a $22,221 civil penalty to the United States, and spend an additional $197,816 to upgrade pollution control equipment at its facility at 1000 River Cement Road, in Festus, Mo., under terms of a consent agreement and final order approved today by Region 7.

An investigation showed that River Cement Company violated air emission limits at its Festus operation over a period of 18 months during 2005 and 2006. The firm's alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act involved pollutants emitted by two manufacturing kilns that were at levels of opacity, or non-transparency, of greater than 20 percent.

"This agreement is a positive step toward reducing particulate matter air emissions in the St. Louis metro area," Region 7 Administrator John Askew said. "St. Louis is currently in non-attainment for fine particulate matter under EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards, so any action that would reduce emissions by as much as 43 tons over a year's time is certainly good news for the region."

As a matter of priority, EPA is working nationwide to address environmental issues with portland cement manufacturers. The cement manufacturing industry is the third-largest industrial source of air emissions in the United States, after power plants and refineries.

# # #

Region 7 supports a variety of air quality programs and activities. Learn more

Locate this and other Region 7 news items on the News Where You Live interactive map