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Tire-burning application undrestimates dangers

By Kris Thomas

Over the past year concerned citizens of Gallatin County have done a lot of work researching tire burning and the permitting process. This is in response to Holcim Inc.'s (the Swiss cement company that owns and operates the Trident Cement Plant north of Three Forks) plans to burn whole tires in its kiln. The controversial proposal has worried many in southwest Montana who are concerned about local air quality, agriculture, and related health risks.


 Recently, the local group Montanans Against Toxic Burning (MATB) contracted an independent engineering firm to review the permit application for accuracy and completeness. The hope was to get an objective analysis done of the application.

From this independent review of Holcim's Air Quality Permit Application we have learned that Holcim's permit application is based on flawed data and illogical conclusions. It compares nonsensical things -- like apples and oranges. It gives little information about emissions, especially of the hazardous air pollutants that parents are really concerned about, such as dioxins and furans. And the disappointing thing is that some of this information is readily available to Holcim from their other plants in this country.

The result is that the application underestimates the health and environmental risks associated with burning tires at the cement plant.

I hope that the state requires accurate information, logical calculations, and sensible comparisons in the permit application. In addition, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) needs to require an Environmental Impact Statement to address the many health risks associated with tire burning.

There is a long standing concern about what comes out of the stack and how it may jeopardize our health and standard of living. I believe the information Holcim has provided so far is woefully inadequate. DEQ should not make decisions without all of the information. The good citizens of Montana certainly deserve as much.

Kris Thomas

719 S. Sixth Ave.

Bozeman, MT 59715

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