(Austin, Texas)-The state environmental agency, or
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, fined Holcim last week for
failing to meet the conditions of their permit. The cement plant, located
in Midlothian received penalties amounting to close to $225,000 of which
half was awarded to the local fire department for the purchase of emergency
response equipment.
Touted as a “state of the art” facility, Holcim used
the Midlothian plant to promote expansion and construction in other parts of
the country only to now be sadly disappointed.
“The fines levied against Holcim represent a multitude
of sins ranging from failing to curtail pollution to failing to maintain
best operating practices. Both the company and the state are guilty of a
pattern of behavior in this matter that’s resulted in a much inferior cement
plant than was possible to build, or even promised by permit by Holcim and
the TNRCC” said Katy Hubener director of the Blue Skies Alliance.
It’s our belief that Holcim not only did not follow
"best operating practices" in building its new plant and installing new
pollution control equipment, it flagrantly flouted the law of the land as it
did so. Nothing less than a $15,000,000 fine, one million for each
violation, will get Holcim’s attention and serve as an incentive for future
permit compliance. In addition, the TNRCC should investigate why TXI, which
is building a similar plant only a few miles away from Holcim, is able to
achieve most of its permit emissions levels while Holcim cannot.
Not only is Holcim’s fine too low, but other penalties
and provisions are too lenient.
TNRCC gave Holcim an additional one and a half years
(545 days) to comply with “authorized air emissions.” This is certain to
result in one and a half more years of non-compliance with the authorized
air emissions in the 1998 original permit, since the company admits it
cannot meet those promised limits. That’s why it’s asking for a permit
amendment to increase emissions.
