Gorman Cement Plant Cited Again

A controversial cement plant near Gorman that burns hazardous wastes as fuel has been cited again and faces a fine of $10,000 for allegedly burning an improper material for a six-week period, officials said.

The Los Robles plant, operated by National Cement Co. of California, was cited for burning a petroleum-based product known as carbon black for a 42-day period in September and October, said Kern County Air Pollution Control District officials.

In a notice of violation to the company, officials said the plant did not have permission to burn the dark powdery material used in making ink and tires. Company officials disagreed and said they are considering challenging the citation.

Don Unmacht, president of the company, said he wasn’t sure how much of the material was burned, but he insisted it was not hazardous. State and county officials, meanwhile, said they were not sure and were awaiting the results of a lab test.

News of the county action against the company came just days after state Department of Health Services officials disclosed Nov. 29 that they had cited the company for burning excessive amounts of hazardous waste for much of the past year. The plant, the only facility of its kind in the state, burns hazardous materials as fuel in the cement-making process.

State officials withheld seeking any penalties pending completion of an investigation. The violations are punishable by administrative fines, suspension or revocation of the plant’s state operating permit or even criminal prosecution.

In early October, county officials cited the plant for similar violations on 66 days between November, 1988, and July of this year. The company agreed to pay a $100,000 fine without admitting guilt.

County officials in mid-November offered to settle the carbon black issue with a $10,000 fine but the company has yet to respond, said Clif Calderwood, the district’s manager of compliance. The citation included a second violation for excessive air emissions on one day.

Calderwood said the district could have sought a fine of up to $43,000 for the alleged violations, based on the maximum figure of $1,000 per day. But Calderwood said he believed the company made “just an honest mistake” in accepting the material.

The carbon black burned at the National Cement plant, located just inside Kern County, came from the Columbian Chemicals Co. facility in the Mojave area. The plant manufactured carbon black, but the operation closed recently and is being dismantled, county officials said.

The cement plant has been a focus of public attention for months. Several dozen residents in the adjoining north Los Angeles County area have complained of health problems that they blame on plant emissions.

A new round of testing at the plant is set to start this week.