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ti <br />.e~: ~~ <br />St. Vrain Valley <br />Community Watchdogs <br />neighbors unitedfor clean air <br />P O Boz 82/Hygiene/CO 80533-0082 <br />online at www.srvrmnwatthdogt.org <br />Dr. William Marine June 17, 2002 <br />President, Board of Health <br />Boulder County Health Department <br />3450 Broadway <br />Boulder, Colorado 80304 <br />Dear Dr. Marine, <br />I am writing to inform you of a questionable situation that is taking place in Boulder <br />County that could have a serious impact on the environment and the public health <br />Cm Sunday, June 2, 2002, John Lohr, plant manager at Cemex-Lyons, announced to the <br />press that his facility intends to test-bum tires as fuel for its kilns. This announcement <br />appeared as a news story in the Lonprnont Times all. (A copy of the article is <br />enclosed.) Four day later, at a meeting ofthe North Boulder County Environmental Task <br />Force, Mr. Lohr again announced Cemex's intent to start test burning tires at the plant. <br />Although Mr. Lohr apologized for the manner in which this fact leaked out, I remain <br />extremely disappointed that all parties had been kept in the dark about the compa~+'s <br />plans. <br />We are alarmed at the possible consequences of this action. Least of all, this activity and <br />the way in which it is being handled is not in keeping with the spirit of the Memorandum <br />of Understanding that you and Mr. Lohr and I signed on August 13, 2001 agreeing "to <br />pursue a collaborative working relationship to improve the health, environment, and <br />quality of life of the St. Vrain Valley." Most alarming, the well-being of this <br />environment and its residents maybe threatened once again. I requested that Mr. Lohr <br />prepare and distribute educational materials on fire bunting so that citizens in the County <br />can be informed prior to the onset of any burning. <br />The Watchdogs have been gathering information regarding "tire burning in cement <br />kilns." What we have discovered so far leads us to believe that Cemex's project may pose <br />a threat to public health and the environment. John Lohr and I discussed fire burning <br />more than a year ago. It was Mr. Lohr's viewpoint-then-that the plant would not burn <br />tires. At that time, however, the company was called Southdown. Now the company is <br />Cementos de Mexico, (Cemex) and as of June 12, 2002, Cementos de Mexico bas <br />permits or authorizations to burn hazardous waste as fuel in I 1 of the 18 plants in <br />Mexico. Cementos de Mexico operates in a coumry with notoriously low environmental <br />"Piored rAar't ebsex ro}a~rkemt; r~~I~i.I~ ana~o~r ~t+•° <br />