State Cites Cement Plant in Toxic-Waste Burning

The state Department of Health Services said Wednesday it has cited a controversial cement plant near Gorman for burning excessive amounts of hazardous waste during the past year, a sign of more problems for the troubled facility.

The Los Robles plant, operated by National Cement Co. of California, which burns the wastes as fuel in its cement-making process, used amounts exceeding limits of its state permit on 214 days between October, 1988, and last month, the state alleged in a notice to the company.

The violations are punishable by administrative fines, suspension or revocation of the plant’s state operating permit or even criminal prosecution. But the state will not specify a penalty until completing its investigation, said Ron Baker, spokesman for the health department’s Toxic Substances Control Program.

The plant, located just inside Kern County, has been criticized for months by residents in nearby areas of north Los Angeles County. Several dozen residents have complained of health problems that they blame on plant emissions.

Officials at the plant, which is the only facility of its kind in California, say there is no health threat, despite the citation. Company President Don Unmacht said he could not formally respond until the state proposes a penalty. But he added, “Obviously, this doesn’t look good for us.”

After reviewing the company’s records, the state concluded that National Cement regularly violated its limit of 1,200 gallons of hazardous waste burned per hour. The highest burning rate cited was 1,781 gallons per hour in mid-August.

The violations are similar, but broader than those cited in early October by Kern County air pollution officials. They fined the plant $100,000 for 66 days of violations under its county permit. The county violations ran from November, 1988, to July.