Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Desert Group Joins Fight Against Hazardous-Waste Burning : 1Environment: Antelope Valley activists are part of a nationwide coalition targeting eight sites, including a cement plant near Gorman.

An Antelope Valley group joined a nationwide coalition of activists Monday in urging federal officials to halt the burning of hazardous waste at eight sites, including a Southern California cement plant.

Desert Citizens Against Pollution was among 12 public health, environmental and waste-treatment groups that filed the petition in Washington, D. C. The document warned U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner that the groups will file a lawsuit within 60 days unless she moves to halt the waste burning.

Among the eight sites targeted by the activists is the National Cement Co. plant just northeast of Gorman, near the Los Angeles-Kern county line. Members of Desert Citizens Against Pollution have alleged that the plant is releasing toxic air emissions that may be causing health problems among nearby residents.

Sylvia Lowrance, associate deputy administrator with the EPA in Washington, said the activists’ petition “is very consistent with the administration’s position about what we should be doing regarding cement kilns. . . . We are absolutely committed to going after these facilities when they cause some environmental problems.”

She said the EPA is preparing to take action before the 60-day deadline against some firms that burn hazardous waste, but she did not know if National Cement would be among these.

In a prepared statement Monday, National Cement said it is legally permitted to burn hazardous waste-derived fuel. The firm said an independent study filed with the state “showed the facility to be operating well within federal and state health risk guidelines.”

In November, the EPA said it planned to deny National Cement a permit to continue burning hazardous waste because its application lacked a signature from Tejon Ranchcorp, which leases its land to the plant. The company can continue to burn waste until a final decision is handed down, probably in the spring, said Virginia Donohue, a spokeswoman for the EPA’s regional office in San Francisco.

Tejon Ranchcorp’s parent company is 30% owned by Times Mirror Co., which publishes the Los Angeles Times.

More coverage of the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys appears today on B8.