U.S. cement makers want dumping remedies continued Twenty-two portland cement producers filed submission to the U.S. Department of Commerce, urging that the agency maintain antidumping remedies that have been in effect on cement imports since 1990.

The Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission recently initiated reviews to determine whether revoking the antidumping remedies against imports from Mexico, Japan, and Venezuela would likely result in the continuation or recurrence of dumping and consequent injury to the domestic industry. If the review concludes that dumping would reoccur, the existing remedies would be extended another five years. The review is expected to be concluded by the end of 2000.

Currently, antidumping duties of 50% ad valorem are being collected on cement imports from Mexico and 70% on imports from Japan. Venezuelen producers are required to price their exports above quarterly pricing benchmarks provided by the U.S. Commerce Department.

In the most recent filings, dated Sept. 1, domestic producers speculated that due to the market structure, absence of meaningful competition, and lax antitrust enforcement in the three nations, cement producers in those countries have among the highest prices for cement in the world. In contrast, according to the U.S. producers, prices in the United States are among the world's lowest.

Holnam resumes study for new So. Carolina plant Holnam Inc. announced that it has resumed studying the potential for building a new cement plant at its present location in Holly Hill, S.C. The existing plant produces 1.1 million mtpy, and the study is based on increasing that to more than 2 million mtpy.

Holnam is incorporating new environmental controls and waste minimization features in the feasibility study. The company is designing a new plantto surpass the stringent emissions requirements of the new Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rules recently published by the EPA.

"The factors that led us to begin the study three years ago are still valid today," said Bill Taylor, vice president of sales for Holnam's southeast division.

EPA OPENS THE FLOOR ON CKD The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a "creative, affordable, and common sense" approach for the management of cement kiln dust (CKD) waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

According to the agency, CKD would remain a non-hazardous waste provided the following management standards are met. First, for ground-water protection, the agency is proposing management standards that require a landfill to be designed to control releases of toxic metals to ground water at the point of compliance. Second, to control releases of fugitive dust, the proposed management standards would require persons managing CKD waste to cover or otherwise manage the landfill, CKD-handling areas, and CKD-storage areas to control wind dispersal of fugitive CKD. Finally, this rule also proposes concentration limitations on various pollutants in CKD used for agricultural purposes. This rule also proposes RCRA Subtitle C regulatory standards for CKD that is not managed according to the management standards described above.

EPA will accept public comment on this proposed rule until Nov. 18, 1999. Comments can be submitted electronically to: rcra-docket@epa.gov. Comments should be identified by the docket number F-99-CKDP-FFFF. For detailed information on the proposed ruling, contact Bill Schoenborn, (+1) 703-308-8483, or , e-mail: schoenborn.william@epa.gov

CEMENTS TOTALS--JUNE 1999 Portland and blended cement shipments in the United States and Puerto Rico totaled nearly 10.4 million mt in June 1999. This was 4% more than revised shipment data for June 1998. Cumulative shipments through June 1999 totaled 49.1 million mt, an 8% increase compared with those of the same period in 1998. Clinker production totaled almost 6.7 million mt in June, essentially the same as production data for June 1998. Cumulative production through June 1999 was 36.8 million mt, a 3% increase compared with that of the same period in 1998.