LONE STAR DISCUSSES PLAN TO CONVERT FROM COAL TO WASTE ENERGY

Lone Star Industries of Cape Girardeau, one of the largest users of energy in the area, will convert its coal-burning cement kiln into a system that will burn toxic waste fuels in 1992.

"We probably use as much electricity at Lone Star Industries as the entire city of Cape Girardeau," said Norris Johnson during an address at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee. "In addition, we burn up to 600 tons of coal each day."

Friday morning, Johnson, control room supervisor at Lone Star, which produces up to 4,000 tons of cement each day, discussed the burning of supplemental fuel. He told the large gathering at the early morning coffee that the new facility may be operating by April.

"This is not something we just jumped into," said Johnson. "We have been looking into burning supplemental fuel for a number of years. In July of this year, we started site preparations and construction for the new facility."

C P Recycling Inc. of Muskegon, Mich., is assisting with permits, construction and initial operation of the plant.

On hand at the Friday meeting were C P Recycling officials Paul D. Knowlson, president and CEO; T. Terry Tousey, vice president; and Victor Potts.

"We feel the new facility will provide a tremendous economic improvement for Lone Star," said Johnson. "We currently employ 155 people at the Cape Girardeau plant, with a payroll of more than $6 million. We will require six to eight new employees right away, with upwards to 30 new people when the waste-burning facility is in full operation."

He said the total cost of permits, construction, and modification of the plant would mean another $3 million to $4 million investment by Lone Star.

In addition, a tire-burning operation may open as early as February at the plant, said Johnson.

"That facility is almost complete, and a non-hazardous tire-burning permit takes less time to obtain," he said, adding that the facility would use as many as one million tires a year."

Supplemental fuel use at Lone Star will provide a big energy savings for the firm.

"We'll be saving as much as seven tons of coal per hour," said Johnson. "At $30 per ton, that alone will amount to a tremendous savings over a period of one year."

Knowlson, who also addressed the meeting, said his C P Recycling firm had worked with six other cement kilns in the United States.

"The Cape Girardeau plant will be able to process everything from small containers of waste to bulk tractor-trailer and rail-car deliveries," he said, explaining that the process has proved to be a safe and efficient way of disposing of hazardous wastes.

Knowlson said one of the challenges of converting to a waste-burning kiln is changing the public's perception that hazardous wastes present a threat to the city and area.

"Wastes will be coming into Lone Star from a wide area, and mostly in a liquefied form," he said. "This means that we'll be getting shipments by rail and truck tankers.

"A lot of people express concern about the transportation of these wastes," said Knowlson. "But, there will be certain routes for the deliveries, which are no more dangerous than a tanker loaded with gasoline which travels the highways every day."

Knowlson explained that all truck tankers bringing wastes into Loan Star would have to come from Interstate 55, via the Dutchtown exit, directly to the plant.

"There are 29 plants burning wastes safely in the U.S.," he said. "There has never been a tragedy."

Knowlson explained that the facility won't be burning the types of materials most people think of as hazardous wastes, such as PCBs, dioxins, banned pesticides or herbicides.

"We will be burning four areas of wastes," said Johnson. "About 30 percent of the waste fuel will come from waste oils like used automobile crankcase oil."

Knowlson added that about 20 percent will be materials such as paint thinner, urethane wood finish and paints, and 10 to 20 percent will be water wastes from industry.

"The balance of the materials are alcohols," he said. "That includes radiator solutions, methanol, resin substances like glue and auto-body filler, and acrylic nail polishes."

He said cement kilns were ideal for burning hazardous wastes. Materials in the kilns burn at temperatures in excess of the 1,800 degrees required by the EPA for waste incineration. "The kilns at Lone Star reach from 2,000 to 3,000 degrees," he added.

Knowlson said the new system would have to have the approval of a number of entities before a permit would be issued. "We have to have state approval, EPA approval and the approval of all local emergency groups," he said.