CEMEX Wampum Cement Plant

Cemex Construction Materials Atlantic, LLC (CEMEX) proposes to modernize and reactivate its Wampum Cement Plant located 2001 Portland Park in Wampum Borough, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. CEMEX is requesting a plan approval that will allow the construction of the new modern kiln and clinker cooler and other ancillary equipment, and the refurbishment of other equipment that had been deactivated. The project triggers Prevention of Significant Deterioration and New Source Review permitting requirements.

In general, the project will replace the three-existing long dry kilns and clinker coolers with a single five-stage preheater/calciner kiln system and a clinker cooler. The project also includes a single unfired vertical mill raw grinding system and an indirect-fired coal grinding system. Other ancillary processes include both new equipment as well as refurbishment of existing equipment. The proposed kiln and the raw material grinding system will be key to providing a more energy efficient pyroprocessing system. The Project will enable CEMEX to efficiently produce approximately 2,600 short tons per day (stpd) to 3,120 stpd clinker at the Wampum Plant.

More specifically, the proposed plan approval would authorize the installation and temporary operation of the following air contamination sources, controls, and monitoring systems:

a five (5) stage, preheater/calciner kiln system equipped with low NOx burners, selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) combustion emission control, activated carbon (ACI), dry absorbent system (DAA), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), carbon dioxide (CO2) continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS),
a clinker cooler exhausting to the shared main stack and emission control systems,
main stack fabric filter system controlling particulate matter emissions (PM) from the kiln and clinker cooler operating with a continuous particulate monitoring system (CPMS), continuous opacity monitors (COMS), and bag leak detection system (BLDS),
a vertical, raw meal grinding system (290 short tons per hour) with dust collector,
a ball mill, indirect coal grinding system (20 short tons per hour) with dust collector,
a cooling tower with a drift eliminator,
an aqueous ammonia (<19%) tank (15,200 gallon),
an emergency generator (1000 KW, 1,475 bhp),
a fire system pump engine (183 bhp),
numerous other dust collectors for particulate matter control of other plant operations,
vehicle and truck traffic on paved and unpaved roads,
other ancillary equipment included in the material handling and conveying operations, and
other refurbished and reactivated existing equipment that includes the Finish Mills #1 & #2 and fuel tanks.

Cement manufacturing began at the Wampum Plant site in 1874; many modifications and ownership changes have occurred over the years. In early 2010, CEMEX ceased operations of the Wampum Plant’s cement manufacturing equipment due to the severe economic conditions of the recession, and the resulting low market demand for building materials. Until that point, the Wampum Plant had been the oldest, continuously operated Portland cement manufacturing site in the United States. In mid-October 2010, CEMEX filed a deactivation plan in accordance with the requirements of 25 PA code §127.11a – Reactivation of Sources, stating that sources had been deactivated, with the exception of sources related to cement storage and loading operations. The deactivation plan included a description of the maintenance, upkeep, repair, or rehabilitation procedures to keep the equipment capable of being reactivated. CEMEX requested, and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) confirmed, that the emissions from the full operation be preserved in the DEP emissions inventory. The Title V permits for the Wampum Plant have remained current during the deactivation period; the current permit (Title V Permit No. 37-0013) was issued on March 13, 2017.

For more information on CEMEX’s proposal and the draft plan approval, please see the web links below. For more information about the Air Quality program, visit DEP’s Air Quality Home Page.

Timeline

Application Received: January 16, 2020

Application Determined to be Administratively Complete: January 30, 2020

Public Comment Period Start Date: May 7, 2022

Public Comment Period End Date: June 6, 2022

U.S. EPA Comment Period Start Date: May 4, 2022

U.S. EPA Comment Period End Date: June 21, 2022

Public Comment Period

A 30-day comment period beginning on May 2, 2022, will exist for the submission of comments, protests, and additional information. In accordance with 25 Pa. Code §127.46, a protest to a proposed action shall be filed with the Department within 30 days of the date that notice of the proposed action was published under 25 Pa Code §127.44 (relating to public notice). A protest shall include the following:

The name, address and telephone number of the person filing the protest; identification of the proposed plan approval issuance being opposed (Plan Approval 37-00013G); and a concise statement of the objections to the plan approval issuance and the relevant facts upon which the objections are based.

Persons wishing to file a written protest, provide comments or additional information which they believe should be considered prior to the issuance of the plan approval or request a public hearing, may submit the information to Eric A. Gustafson, Environmental Program Manager, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Northwest Regional Office, 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335. Phone (814) 332-6940 or email at egustafson@pa.gov.

A public hearing may be held, if the Department, in its discretion, decides that such a hearing is warranted based on the information received. All persons who have properly filed a protest under 25 Pa Code §127.46 may appear and give testimony. The applicant, the protestant and other participants will be notified of the decision to hold a hearing by publication in the newspaper or by the Pennsylvania Bulletin, or by telephone, where the Department determines such notification by telephone is sufficient.

Application Contacts

CEMEX’s contact for the application is Laura Myers, Senior Corporate Environmental Manager, at 714-553-8191 or laura.myers@cemex.com.

DEP’s contact for questions regarding DEP’s review of the application is Sheri Guerrieri, P.E., Air Quality Engineer at 724-656-3460 or shguerrier@pa.gov.

All media inquiries should go to DEP Northwest Region Community Relations Coordinator, Tom Decker, at 814-332-6615 or thomadecke@pa.gov.

Application and Draft Permit Documents:

Plan Approval Application (PDF)

Revised November 2020 Air Quality Analysis Report; Replaces Attachment 8 of Original Plan Approval Application (PDF)

Draft Plan Approval (PDF)

Draft DEP Review Memorandum (PDF)