Portland Cement Association (PCA) welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) removal of what it considered a technically infeasible proposed emissions limit from the final Good Neighbor Federal Implementation Plan (Good Neighbor FIP).
The rule would have required cement kilns to meet emissions standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) more stringent than standards for new kilns, and would have forced cement plants to curtail production or shut down.
EPA relied on flawed data and, for the first time, included cement manufacturers among other industrial industries that would be subject to the proposed rule, despite the fact that many cement plants already utilize emissions control technology.
“The rule would have been regulatory overkill for America’s cement manufacturers as they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars implementing state-of-the-art emission technology controls to comply with stringent NOx and other air emissions requirements,” said Sean O’Neill, PCA’s senior vice president of government affairs.
“Furthermore, had it been enforced, the proposal would have been a contradictory move by the administration, as a reduction in cement supply would inevitably slow progress of construction projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” concluded O’Neill.
PCA said it will evaluate the ramifications of the final rule and continue working with the federal government to meet its obligations to protect air quality.
