Ash Grove Cement Company has reportedly been granted a modified air permit for its Montana plant, which allows for the possibility of an expansion of the existing facilities. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is accepting public comment on the matter, which considers the modernisation of the plant via a new, more energy-efficient kiln as well as construction of an overland conveyor for transportation of raw materials from the quarry, which would reduce traffic through Montana City.
With the plant upgrade, cement production would increase, but emissions would drop thanks to the utilisation of the best available technology. The DEQ conducted an air quality and impact analysis, which projects a decrease in SO2 emissions among other contaminants after the modifications.
The plant was originally opened in 1964 and has been impacted by the slowdown in cement demand in the US over the last several years. The company’s director of communications and public affairs, Jacqueline Clarke, told press that a modernisation would extend the life of the facility.
Edited from various sources by Katherine Guenioui