At Highland Park Action Committee: Lafarge changes ahead

| Environment | Highland Park | West Seattle news

We’re at the Highland Park Improvement Club, where the Highland Park Action Committee is hosting three speakers focused on environmental issues/concerns during its monthly meeting. The first up, Jim Nolan from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, is taking questions on the Lafarge cement plant nearby and its effects on area air, and he says an announcement should be forthcoming about an agreement between Lafarge and the EPA regarding all the company’s plants nationwide and a major reduction in emissions, with a new system that will have to be up and running by next April. More details of Nolan’s presentation — which also addressed other local air-pollution concerns — later; he also noted that you can check current air-quality conditions any time at the PSCAA website (here’s the link).

elsinor May 18, 2009 (10:50 pm)

Back in in 2003 the smell from Lafarge seemed to get worse, at my house anyway. I live in Fauntleroy above the church and reported the odor several times to PS Clean Air. People in South Park and Highland Park reported it too. Many people said it smelled like chlorine. Lafarge hired an evironmental consultant who did a study and sumbitted his results at a public meeting. What I remember from that meeting was that he said the Lafarge flu does not emit chlorine, therefore what we were smelling could not be from Lafarge. Ever since that meeting, when I report the odor, I don’t use the word chlorine. Instead I describe it as “the same odor I’ve smelled when I’ve driven through Lafarge’s plume”. One doesn’t get to drive through the plume very often, but when atmospheric conditions are just right, you can see the smoke and smell it.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030315&slug=southpark15m

ws emp May 19, 2009 (12:09 am)

aren’t there 4 cement operations on the water w/in 4 miles…..

WSB May 19, 2009 (12:23 am)

Ash Grove was mentioned, but the distinction made by the PSCAA rep was that it was built in the ’90s and has newer, cleaner equipment, while Lafarge was built in the ’60s.

Long time WS resident May 19, 2009 (11:32 am)

I’ve lived in WS for 32 years and have smelled the same “odor” that you speak of but I don’t think it is coming from the Lafarge plant. The reason I say this is the simple fact the the odor is still present when the plant is not operating (when the big cylinder thing isn’t turning, they are not producing cement and hence no plume). I also beleive that it is in the area of Lafarge and Ashgrove but is coming from a source further south (maybe the airport, maybe the hardy plant, you or I don’t know the answer). I’ve hear the PSCAA reps call it the Lafarge odor but I don’t think they have any proof (at least they never have at public meetings)so I think the comment by ws emp is spot on….Aren’t there four cement operations on the water? and how do you know this is coming from a cement plant? It is more than likely coming from somewhere else.

ws emp May 19, 2009 (2:04 pm)

i do know that he PSCAA was down at lafarge today…they came up with nothing again. thanks longtime WS res. you’re right on about the odor when the plant isn’t running…. the residents were asked before a community meeting to mark down when they had smelled the odors, when they were the strongest… all the results came back as being the strongest in April and june last year. the plant had been on both of it’s planned shut downs during both of those months. There have been several ‘ideas’ on what the smell is… but as the only plant on this side of the water, lafarge is commonly given the rep for the bad stuff. it’s important to remember all the trains that come thru the area, carrying who knows what, container trucks, the recycling facility….. waste management is on the same street– and we’re wondering bout a smell!!!

Long time WS resident May 22, 2009 (10:44 am)

Way to go WS emp! People need to educate themselves before bashing…especially the clean air agency and some other uneduacated individuals who like to hop on the band wagon.

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