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Cemex to restart rock crusher in New Mexico

Mar, 16 2009

(RADIUM SPRINGS, New Mexico)  --  The state last week gave the go-ahead to the Mexican-based cement company Cemex to reopen a rock-crushing plant near Radium Springs.

The New Mexico Environment Department on Thursday OK'd an air quality permit for the crusher to operate at a 121-acre rock quarry east of Interstate 25.

Rock-crushing and quarrying first began in 1995 at the site under previous ownership, prompting tensions at times with community residents, but no operations have occurred in recent years.

Cemex last May applied for a new air permit to place a crusher plant at the site, saying it needed the facility to help supply material for the construction of Spaceport America. But Cemex, after filing the request, realized it already owned a valid permit that had been transferred from a previous owner along with the land, said Richard Goodyear, permit programs manager for the Environment Department's Air Quality Bureau.

The site is southeast of the Radium Springs exit off I-25.

According to the Environment Department, the permit allows Cemex to process up to 375 tons of material per hour, 12 hours each day — or, 4,500 tons per day. It can operate between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cemex and Environment Department officials met March 3 with about 15 to 20 residents from Radium Springs and Fort Seldon, said Radium Springs resident Sandy Tatum. She said the community seems to have accepted that the crusher already is authorized and now is focused on making sure impacts of the operation are as minimal as possible and that the facility doesn't expand in size.

"We told (Cemex): "If it turns out there are bigger plans, there will be a fight,'" she said.

The permit was first granted in 1995 to Southwest Paving. It transferred ownership to Jobe Concrete Products in 2004 and Cemex El Paso Inc. in 2005.

Fort Seldon resident Edna Lucero, 86, said she appreciates that Cemex has been willing to meet with the community. When the crusher began operations in the mid-'90s, she said there was no warning. Residents then experienced problems with dust and blasting, she said.

"At least these people let us know," said Lucero, a longtime resident of the area. "As long as (Cemex) abides by the environmental laws, it's not going to be too bad."

Environment Department spokeswoman Marissa Stone assured that would be the case.

"We will definitely be vigilant in monitoring air quality from that facility to make sure residents are protected," she said.

Goodyear said the Environment Department doesn't have jurisdiction over blasting activity. He said that's overseen by another state agency.

Tatum said the company told residents it will conduct test blasting at the site in upcoming weeks to gauge how much material there is that can be quarried. After that, she said, the company will meet again with residents to talk further about its plans.

Radium springs resident Ventura Bustamante, 71, said doesn't have a problem with the crusher facility resuming operation, especially because it's located on the east side of I-25, away from most development. Also, he said the wind most often blows west to east, which means Radium Springs usually is out of the path of dust from the plant.

"I like it; maybe it will give us some work," he said.

Goodyear said his department could have simply allowed rock-crushing to resume, without the most recent approval, because the permit was still valid. But the state instead asked Cemex to go through a process that's typically done when a company wants to transfer a permit from one geographic location to another. He said the state also requested that Cemex voluntarily host a meeting with nearby residents about its plans for the site.

Goodyear said the permit will remain valid indefinitely, unless the company lets operations lapse for more than five years. He also said Cemex has not taken further action on last year's application for an entirely new permit.

Cemex couldn't be reached for comment Friday and Saturday.

By Diana M. Alba Sun-News reporter












SOURCE:  www.lcsun-news.com