The Star-News recently reported a story about New Hanover County Commissioners offering Titan Cement–a multi-national cement company based in Athens, Greece–$4.2 million in tax incentives to build a large cement kiln in New Hanover County. Click here to read the article. Commission chairman Bobby Greer called it a “win-win” for citizens, the county, and the company. Here’s what is not being mentioned:
1. Cement kilns are enormous energy hogs, burning vast quantities of coal to fire the kilns to 3500 degrees F and significant quantities of electricity to grind raw materials and rotate the kilns. Many often serve as waste incinerators, adding shredded tires, paper, wood debris, packing material, as well as other combustibles to the fuel, even some materials classified as hazardous wastes, including paints, solvents, used oils, and other chemicals. They are major producers of sulfur dioxide and modest contributors of nitrogen dioxide, two primary components of smog. They also produce large amounts of particulate matter, an air pollutant that can have serious health impacts.
2. Cement kilns need a large local source of raw material, particularly limestone, so they are built near large quarry operations, with their associated dust, noise, off-road diesel exhaust and large truck traffic.
3. Cement kilns are one of the nation’s largest industrial emitters of mercury, a powerful neurotoxin that can cause developmental problems in young children, newborns, and children in the womb. The industry has been reluctant to install mercury controls on its plants, and the current EPA administrator has been reluctant to crack down on their mercury emissions, resulting in numerous lawsuits against EPA.
4. In a study conducted last year by Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Columbia University among others, Wilmington is one of ten mid-sized southeastern cities projected to have worse air quality from climate change induced warming alone–not including the addition of a large cement kiln in New Hanover County that would contribute to smog and particulate matter. That’s bad news for children, particularly those with asthma, the elderly, and anyone else with impaired lung function. This would be important for any community interested in attracting young families or older retirees.
5. Cement kilns are among the primary industrial emitters of carbon dioxide, second only to fossil-fuel burning electrical generation plants, and also significant emitters of methane–both potent greenhouse gases. Coastal North Carolina is among the most vulnerable areas in the United States to sea level rise from climate change. A recent study by researchers from Appalachian State, East Carolina, UNCW and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Research estimated that more than $200 million in New Hanover Country property could be lost due to inundation in future decades, in additions to millions in lost revenue from reduced recreation and increased storm damage. The study was based on 2007 IPCC projections of sea level rise of 15 to 24 inches by 2100, but even the IPCC now admits that estimate was far too conservative. Many scientist studying the issue believe sea level will rise at least a meter by then if not more, depending on how successful the world is in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Whether or not you believe in local communities essentially bribing industry’s with taxpayer funded incentives, I would suggest that before our commissioners take such actions they should follow Hippocrate’s mantra: first do no harm. In this case, we might as well be offering Titan much of our beaches, much of our tourism business, much of our air quality, even the lung capacity of our children and elderly.
If you share my concerns, please write your county commissioners and voice your opinion.
I don’t know about you, but this is my favorite time of year in Wilmington. The weather is perfect for enjoying the outdoors- from running the loop at Wrightsville Beach to riding bikes around Greenfield Lake. And, of course, springtime in Wilmington would not be complete without mention of the North Carolina Azalea Festival!
