May 6, 2006 12:02 pm US/Mountain
'Mothers Against Burning Tires' To March On Cemex
:yons Cement Company Wants To Burn Tires For Fuel
by Shaun Boyd
LYONS, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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Cemex Plant In Lyons
CBS4
You've heard of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Now comes Mothers Against Burning Tires. A small group of moms in Lyons is taking on big business. Specifically, a big cement plant called Cemex.
Cemex is located on Foothills Highway at Highway 66 in Boulder County.
The moms group hopes to stop the company from burning tires for fuel.
"I think moms understand something fundamental," Michele Leonard, a member of Mothers Against Burning Tires said. "We know when our children are in danger."
The moms said the cement plant poses danger to their children.
Cemex has burned coal for years and now it has asked the state to approve a permit to burn tires.
"We feel that burning tires is an absolute health risk to this community, to our children, and to our children's children," Leonard said.
The group is stepping up pressure on the state to deny the Cemex request.
"We are up against a deadline the state has imposed," Leonard said.
There are just two weeks of public comment left and the moms are launching a march and letter writing campaign this weekend.
The group said Cemex can't even burn coal safely. It claimed Cemex was cited 72,000 times in just one year by the State Health Department.
"We're talking about pollution of air, water and soil," Leonard said. "How can they even be in the process of renewing a permit and expanding the facility when they're not in compliance?"
Not only does the permit allow for burning, it pays for it. The moms said they and their children will pay the ultimate price.
Cemex defended its permit request, pointing to Environmental Protection Agency studies that show burning tires is no worse then burning coal. It also maintained there has never been a harmful emission from the plant.
"We are willing to go up against a multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporation because we believe mothers also have power; power to stop this," Leonard said.
The Mothers Against Burning Tires will meet Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at the Stone Cup Cafe in Lyons.
The meeting will be informational and include letter writing to the state. The group said they will march to Cemex in protest of the tire burning after the meeting.
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