Allegations dog Cemex again
Board of Health members want state to investigate plant
By Todd Neff, Camera Staff Writer
October 11, 2005
Boulder County health officials are asking the state for a thorough investigation of alleged operating violations at Cemex Inc.'s Lyons cement plant.
State regulators cited the plant for having excessive heat in pollution-control intakes more than 72,000 times in 2004. Such heat can lead to emission of cancer-causing dioxins and furans. Cemex could face civil penalties of up to $15,000 per day.
"If these allegations are sustained, these are very serious allegations and a very profound violation of public trust," said Chuck Stout, director of Boulder County Public Health.
During a Monday night board meeting, the five-member Board of Health instructed county staff members to request a thorough investigation by the state, as well as for so-called "stack tests." Such tests involve intentionally operating the cement plant at too-high temperatures to determine what pollutants are emitted.
The plant is alleged to have operated at excessive temperatures 15 percent of the time in 2004. Pamela Milmoe, air and waste coordinator for the county health department, said Cemex-supplied data from 2005 showed the number of temperature exceedances "in the thousands or the tens of thousands."
Cemex now is voluntarily sending temperature data to both county and state health officials, Milmoe said.
Stout said he was concerned the alleged violations risked upsetting the "sense of well-being" of neighbors who "have outdoor birthday parties for young children and bike and run and coexist with that manufacturing process."
"The logical questions that people have to ask are: Are my family members safe? Has something happened here that could affect health either now or in the future?" Stout said.
Cemex officials issued a brief e-mail statement: "We are actively cooperating with the appropriate public agencies and hope to resolve the issues that have been raised in the (notice of violation) favorably."
Cemex has yet to meet with county and state officials on the alleged violations. A closed-door meeting to that end is scheduled for Oct. 20.
Christopher Dann, spokesman for the state health department, said the agency would reserve further comment until at least that time.
Richard Cargill, a Cemex watchdog who lives 2 miles east of the plant, said he was "thrilled" with the Board of Health's move.
"We're getting an appropriate response from the health department acknowledging that people in this community are under a cloud of threats from the cement plant, and the Board of Health is going to try to correct that," Cargill said.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Todd Neff at (303) 473-1327 or nefft@dailycamera.com.