Hannibal, Missouri's Continental Cement Company LLC has reached a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. The company will pay a civil penalty of $74,440 and will also provide low-emission school buses to a local district.
The EPA found that Continental Cement did not properly operate leak detection systems meant to alert the company to potential releases of hazardous air pollutants. These findings came after an inspection in December 2022.
"Air pollution affects communities with short- and long-term health effects, particularly among children, older adults, and those with preexisting conditions," said David Cozad, Director of the EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. "This settlement represents EPA’s commitment to protecting all communities from harmful air emissions."
According to the EPA, malfunctioning leak detection systems at Continental Cement could mean that pollutant filters might not be effectively reducing emissions of particulate matter and other air pollutants linked to hazardous waste combustion.
As part of the settlement terms, Continental Cement has committed to spending at least $282,000 on replacing two diesel buses from Hannibal School District #60 with propane-powered ones. This measure aims to cut down on air pollution in areas affected by excess emissions from the company's alleged violations.