PCA: EPA regulations will hamper cement industry
August 11, 2010Compliance with EPA’s final regulations to national emission standard for hazardous air pollutants will cost the cement industry several billion dollars and require investments in pollution control equipment at a time when available capital is constrained, according to the Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) top official.
“The final rule issued [Aug. 9] will require portland cement facilities to limit emissions of mercury, total hydrocarbons, hydrochloric acid and particulate matter,” said Brian McCarthy, PCA’s president and CEO, in a statement released by the association. “The emission limits are still very low and will not be achievable by a number of facilities.”
The large number of other regulatory requirements anticipated to affect the industry over the coming years complicates acquiring and installing the necessary emission controls for this rule, said McCarthy, adding, “This could lead to additional cement plant closures, job losses and a reduction in U.S. cement production capacity.
“More cement will need to be imported to make up for shrinking domestic supply. We fear this could constrain the U.S. government’s efforts to stimulate the economy, create jobs and rehabilitate the nation’s infrastructure,” McCarthy said. “Additionally, imports of cement, mostly likely from developing nations, will cause global increases of greenhouse gas, mercury and other pollutant emissions.
“PCA is thoroughly reviewing the new regulations to assess their ultimate impact on the industry and its planned growth.”
PCA believes that EPA could have pursued other approaches, such as creating emission standards for subcategories of industry facilities and using risk-based policies to address hydrochloric acid (HCl), rather than imposing an HCl emission standard for the purpose of limiting sulfur dioxide emissions. These approaches would have achieved the environmental objectives of the Clean Air Act while also preserving U.S. cement production capacity, the association said.
“For more than a decade, PCA has supported the rising demand for portland cement through environmentally and socially responsible business practices,” McCarthy said. “PCA and its member companies are continually working to identify innovative ways to improve plant operations and implement state-of-the-art technologies to minimize emissions, promote a safe workplace, improve energy efficiency and conserve natural resources while cost-effectively producing a high-quality product.”
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