A consent decree with the EPA calls for Lafarge North America to implement nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide pollution-control measures at 13 US cement plants, some of which will see deployment of selective catalytic reduction or selective non-catalytic reduction technology new to the industry.

A settlement filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois proposes the producer invest up to US$170m in capital upgrades and cover civil penalties of US$3.4m to the US, and US$1.7m to 13 states or state environmental agencies.

EPA alleges Clean Air Act violations at the cement plants under Lafarge NA or predecessors’ management. The consent decree, fines and big-ticket compliance measures parallel settlements EPA has reached during the past year with ready mixed and aggregate producers, including Aggregate Industries-Northeast Region Inc; Wamego Sand Co. of Kansas; Iowa’s Knife River Midwest and Rhode Island’s Consolidated Concrete.