December 6, 2011 > Air District seeks public comment on Portland cement rule Air District seeks public comment on Portland cement rule Submitted By Aaron Richardson The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area, is hosting a public workshop to discuss the agency's draft rule on Portland cement manufacturing. This rule is designed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and toxic air contaminants from Portland cement manufacturing facilities, such as the Lehigh facility in Cupertino. At this workshop, Air District staff will discuss and receive comments on draft Regulation 9, Rule 13: Nitrogen Oxides, Particulate Matter and Toxic Air Contaminants from Portland Cement Manufacturing. The proposed rule includes emissions limits for nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and toxic air contaminants; monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting and operational requirements such as a minimum kiln stack height and a dust mitigation plan. Portland cement manufacturing involves the intense heating of raw materials such as limestone and iron in order to fuse them together to produce cement clinker which is then ground to a fine powder and mixed with gypsum and other additives to produce cement. The Air District welcomes comments and questions about the draft rule at any time before, during or after the draft workshop until the deadline for public comments closes on January 3, 2012. Comments may be submitted at the workshop or by phone or email. Please submit comments on the draft rule to Robert Cave at (415) 749-5048 or rcave@baaqmd.gov. For copies of the draft rule and the corresponding Workshop Report, visit http://tinyurl.com/6ovdbtu. The workshop will be held at the following time and location: Portland Cement Manufacturing Monday, December 12 5 - 6 p.m. Open House 6 - 8 p.m. Presentation & Discussion Monta Vista High School Cafeteria 21840 McClellan Road, Cupertino For more information about the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, visit www.baaqmd.gov