NEIGHBORS AGAINST MINING ACTION ALERT
CEMEX BROOKSVILLE CEMENT PLANT SEEKS PERMIT EXTENSION
SEND IN YOUR COMMENTS TODAY!
PUBLIC COMMENT CLOSES AUGUST 9th, 2015
ISSUE: CEMEX is seeking a state permit to extend the air pollutants permit for the Brooksville
South Cement Plant. This outdated coal burning plant has been cited 19 times since 2001 for
mercury emissions that exceeded air quality standards and is considered a major source of air
pollution under current state and federal laws.
Please sign the attached letter and mail it out today! You can also add your own comments to
the back side of the letter or draft your own letter. State your concerns and ask the state to
hold a public hearing for this Title V (major source) air operating permit.
* It is time to retire this obsolete coal-burning plant now! Coal plants are the nation's top
source of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, and pollute the air with nitrogen oxides, particulate
matter, mercury emissions and other harmful pollutants. The plant is located near the county
seat of Brooksville, with over 7,100 residents.
* It is dangerous and threatens our public health and our environment. Closing the plant will
help reduce Hernando’s high asthma rates and the serious health risks from mercury and other
air pollutants that we have been exposed to over and over again as recently as 2013.
* CEMEX cannot be trusted; they have misled county commissioners, misrepresented lime rock
mine blasting reports, and failed to report emissions and blasting violations, as required by law.
* We want a clean, prosperous future. CEMEX’s declining economic impact is less than onethird that of tourism that generates sustainable growth and protects our environment.
* Ask the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to schedule a public hearing so we
can learn how we will be protected from additional mercury and other aerial pollutants.
DEADLINE: Public comments must be submitted by August 9th. Note that it is Re: Draft/Proposed
permit # 0530021-054-AV CEMEX Construction Materials Florida, LLC, Brooksville, Florida.
Mail comments to: Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Air Resource Management, Office
of Permitting and Compliance, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400. Or,
Email your comments to: David Read, FL DEP Division of Air Resource Management, Office of
Permitting, at david.read@dep.state.fl.us. Copy justsaynotomining@gmail.com for our website.
Learn more: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has published intent to issue a revised
permit for the Title V Air Operation Permit for the CEMEX Brooksville South Cement Plant. View the
proposed permit # 0530021-054-AV at: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/air/emission/apds/default.asp.
Learn more at www.neighborsagainstmining.org. Contact us at justsaynotomining@gmail.com or call
352 277-3330.
July, 2015
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Air Resource Management, Office of Permitting and Compliance
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400
Re: Public Comment on Draft/Proposed permit # 0530021-054-AV CEMEX Construction Materials
Florida, LLC, Brooksville, Florida
Dear Sirs:
I am a resident of Brooksville in Hernando County, along with 7,100 other residents of our county seat
who live near the CEMEX Brooksville South Cement Plant. I am opposed to issuing this permit to allow
the coal burning plant to continue to operate. It is a threat to my health, the health of others, and the
environment. Exposure to even small amounts of mercury can have major public health impacts,
especially to children and pregnant women.
Many of us have invested our life earnings in our homes in this area. Mercury emissions from this plant
have violated air quality regulations regularly over the past 15 years. Asthma rates for children in
Hernando County are among the highest in the state with no other major source of pollution in the area
and an absence of heavy vehicular traffic other than cement trucks.
On July 3, 2015, the latest Consent Order was issued for this plant for an air quality violation that
occurred over two years ago. Perhaps others have occurred since then. Prior to that CEMEX paid over a
million dollars for 18 air quality violations at this plant that occurred from 2001 to 2011. Rather than
retire the plant then, CEMEX was allowed to add wood to the fuel to reduce harmful emissions. Biomass
plants produce nearly 50% more carbon dioxide than coal-burning plants and more than double the
nitrogen oxide, soot, carbon monoxide and volatile organic matter as coal plants.
CEMEX has failed to disclose blasting violations for lime rock mining activities near Brooksville, failed to
report violations of air emissions at the cement plant and misled county commissioners. There is every
likelihood that similar violations will occur in the future if this plant is allowed to continue to operate,
even if updated monitoring equipment is installed. Monitoring alone is no assurance that violations will
not occur if you continue to allow the use of coal burning and biomass as is currently used. This permit
would allow up to 200 pounds per year of mercury emissions by law and potentially much more if past
performance is any indicator.
Furthermore, I request that you hold a public hearing on this matter to explain what is being done to
insure our protection in the future. Thank you for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
Name:
_________________________________________________
Address:
__________________________________________________
City/State/Zip
__________________________________________________
(Additional comments may be added to the reverse side of this page)