EPA Orders Arizona Plants to Cut Emissions

The Environmental Protection Agency set new limits last week on emissions from six Arizona industrial facilities in order to reduce haze at 17 national parks and wilderness areas, including the Grand Canyon, reported the Verde Independent. The rule will cut more than 32,000 tons of pollutants each year from smelters, cement plants and a power plant to clear the air over “Class 1” federal lands in Arizona, California, Utah and New Mexico. Twelve of those areas are in Arizona.

Among the six facilities were Lhoist North America’s Nelson Lime Plant Kilns 1 and 2, which will be required to install Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) controls to meet the lower emission standards for NOx, SO2, and particulate matter. The Phoenix Cement Clarkdale Plant Kiln 4 and the CalPortland Cement Rillito Plant Kiln 4 will be subjected to “reasonable progress” restrictions, dealing with NOx emissions only.

The new emission guidelines will take effect Oct. 3. The companies have until 2018 to comply.

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