PLANT COULD BRING POLLUTION, JOBS; CEMENT PLANT NEEDS UP TO 25 PERMITS TO START CONSTRUCTION

There's some big numbers and big opposition connected to the proposed Holnam Cement Plant in Ste. Genevieve County.

The opposition could lead to delays in construction of the $550 million project along the Mississippi River. Opponents of the plant cite the destruction of forest land, wetlands and some endangered species in the area as problems related to construction.

Others, including air pollution-control officials, say the plant would release dangerous cement kiln dust and chemicals in the air, worsening the smog in the St. Louis area.

The proposed facility would be situated just across a creek from Jefferson County, which is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

As many as 25 permits will have to be issued before any construction can get under way, and there is no timetable on when that will be.

Holnam officials are working with the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Natural Resources in the permitting process.

"At this point, we're cautious," said Connie Patterson of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which also has regulatory authority concerning the project.

Awaiting more studies

A number of studies have been made, and DNR is looking at each study, said Patterson. "We won't speculate on our decision at this time. We're waiting now on the Corps of Engineers."

Holnam is seeking permits from the corps to affect federal waterways by building the factory, quarry and a harbor on the Mississippi River.

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden has asked the corps to do a full study on the cement plant project from its effects on clean water, rivers and harbors and a full Environmental Impact Study.

"We're in the process of making our study on what impacts the plant will have on wetlands, and the river in that area," said Charles Camillo, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers. "Once we have completed these studies, we'll determine whether further environmental studies are necessary."

Although Camillo didn't offer a specific time, he said the Corps should be able to issue a permit or endorse further studies by September or October.

Mike Mullen, a spokesman for Holnam, said the company has been studying the site for years and is excited about the prospects and progress being made.

Holnam officials say their state-of-the-art facility will be cleaner than many existing plants.

Substantial impact

The proposed facility at Lee Island will mean jobs and economic growth for Missouri, according to a study conducted by Dr. Bruce Domazlicky, director of the center for Economic and Business Research at Southeast Missouri Sate University in Cape Girardeau.

"The impact is substantial throughout the state and the area, from the construction stage through the operation of the facility," said Domazlicky. "It's a big project and the economic impact will be felt statewide."

The new cement plant will lead to several jobs and contribute tens of millions of dollars to the Missouri economy, according to the study, which was conducted at Holnam's request.

"We were pleased to see that researchers' findings support what we've been saying all along," said Mullen. "This project will be a shot in the arm for Southern Missouri. Holnam is committed to this proposed plant, brining new jobs and economic growth to the community and state."

The university study indicates that the construction phase of the project will create 431 jobs at the site, while indirectly creating work for another 280 people.

Mullen said that total construction employment will peak at about 1,000 workers.

The study also noted a projected overall increase of $24 million in annual personal income in the Ste. Genevieve-Jefferson counties region and as much as $31 million more in the state annual personal income.

Boost to area

Domazlicky also predicted that the plant would play a role in creating $1.3 million a year in sales and income tax revenues for the state.

But there are more big numbers to the project. Holnam's Lee Island project will lead to a much-needed boost to local schools, including payments totaling more than $35 million over 20 years to the Ste. Genevieve County R-II School District.

The numbers could be greater, said Domazlicky, admitting he used a "conservative approach" for the study. "It's likely that the benefits to the local region and the state of Missouri will exceed the impacts given in this report."

Holnam Cement has received the green light from its Swiss parent corporation to proceed with the cement factory, but the company still awaits its permits.

Holnam has been building a road from Highway 61 to the building site, which is the only construction permit issued.

Holnam has proposed an operation that would mine limestone and make 4.4 million tons of Portland cement a year. The company chose the Ste. Genevieve site because it has an extensive reservoir of limestone and because it is near the river, Interstate 55 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

The site has the potential to supplant two-thirds of the 6.6 million tons of cement now produced outside of the U.S. and shipped to the Midwest by way of the Mississippi River, according to industry statistics.

Holnam has said it hopes to have the site developed by the end of 2003.

Holnam has 12 factories in the United States, including a 33-year-old plant in Clarksville, Mo., which produces 1.4 million tons of cement a year.