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Burning Superfund Waste (Slag)
August 14, 2005 Update
Following is a link to a letter to the editor that we submitted to the Bozeman Chronicle regarding Holcim's use of mining waste (slag) in their combustion chamber.
Letter to the Editor Submitted to the Chronicle
Below the letter is a longer version that contains supporting information.
April 3, 2005 Press Release
Below is a recent press release regarding Holcim's use of slag waste from the Helena Superfund site.
Holcim Cement Burning Slag
From Superfund Site
Citizens Concerned about Risks to Air Quality
A broad coalition of citizens from the Gallatin Valley today requested that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) order the Holcim Trident cement kiln to immediately stop burning slag waste from the Asarco lead smelter Superfund site in East Helena.
The Gallatin Valley citizens recently discovered that the DEQ has been allowing Holcim to use the slag in its cement-making process at its plant along the Missouri River, even though it is laden with lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other toxic metals.
“We are alarmed that DEQ failed to require Holcim to obtain a permit to burn the slag waste and allowed this to continue without assessing the impacts on air quality,” said Kris Thomas of Montanans Against Toxic Burning.
According to Anne Hedges of the Montana Environmental Information Center, “The law is clear that a facility like Holcim's cement kiln must obtain an air quality permit before it can burn waste material that changes the composition of its air pollution emissions.” Yet for the past several years, Holcim has been burning the Asarco slag without a permit to do so.
The slag, though legally classified as solid waste, has been described by the manager of the Superfund site as exhibiting the characteristics of hazardous waste. It appears that DEQ has not required a compositional analysis of the slag from the Superfund site. “Residents are concerned about the possible hazardous emissions, in especially in light of the frequent malfunctions and equipment failures experienced by the facility,” explained Jennifer Swearingen of MATB.
Holcim has applied for a permit to burn more than one million whole scrap tires annually in their cement kiln. There are additional concerns that the soon-to-be-released environmental impact statement and human health risk assessment should take into account the emissions from burning the Asarco slag in addition to those from tire burning.
Contact:
Anne Hedges, Montana Environmental Information Center,443-2520
Kris Thomas, Montanans Against Toxic Burning, 587-7193
For more information,
Group questions plant's toxicity By Jennifer McKee
Gazette State Bureau
Billings Gazette 4/5/2005
Lawmakers, group assail cement plant burning of slag AP Article
Billings Gazette 4/4/2005
To learn more, click on these links:
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