Demonstrators Protest Firm’s Waste-Burning
Members of an Antelope Valley environmental group staged a protest at the Tejon Pass near Gorman on Saturday to attract the attention of tourists headed for the Christo umbrellas exhibit.
The object of the protest by Desert Citizens Against Pollution was National Cement, a cement manufacturer in the mountains above Quail Lake, just inside Kern County. The company burns hazardous wastes as part of its fuel.
Seven protesters, some of them members of Greenpeace, stretched a banner across a bridge over the Golden State Freeway that read: “National Cement Burns Toxic Waste on Tejon Ranch.” They also carried black umbrellas emblazoned with the words: “It’s raining toxics on Tejon Ranch.”
According to group member and Lancaster resident Joe Blackburn, polluted air from the plant drifts into the Antelope Valley.
“People who live downwind complain of a lot of respiratory problems,” protester Lyle Talbot said, a yellow cocktail umbrella sticking out of his straw hat. “Real or imagined, it’s not something you want to raise your family near.”
The company’s state toxic waste permit is under review and the protesters said they want to see an environmental impact report completed.
National Cement could not be reached for comment.
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