St Lawrence seeks to lower emissions, USA

St Lawrence Cement, which has been seeking permission to build a cement plant on the Hudson River for the past five years said it will propose lowering the plant’s air emission caps.

The announcement by company officials that they will seek revised air permits came six weeks after state environmental officials ruled that air emissions and other issues related to the controversial proposal should be adjudicated before an administrative law judge.

St. Lawrence Cement wants to build a $353 million cement plant about 30 miles south of Albany near Hudson. The proposed plant would replace the company’s plant in nearby Catskill and produce 2 million tons of cement a year.

The company had earlier reduced the height of the proposed plant amid opposition from some locals and environmentalists who claim it would be a highly polluting eyesore.  St. Lawrence said  will seek permits in conjunction with the new design that will reduce particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by 28 percent overall.

"We are determined to build a world-class cement plant and to move this permitting process forward," said David Loomes, general director of the replacement plant.

Company officials said better technology and more efficient pollution control devices will help make the emission improvements possible.
Sam Pratt of the anti-plant group Friends of Hudson said even with the changes, the plant would remain a health threat.