Cementʹs Toxic Legacy: NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL ATTACKS ON HEALTH PROTECTIONS

This fact sheet by Earthjustice opposes H.J. Res. 42, which seeks to overturn EPA regulations adopted in August 2010 to reduce mercury, soot, and other toxics from over 100 cement plants. The document emphasizes the severe developmental risks mercury poses to unborn babies and children, noting that the EPA's protections could prevent 2,500 premature deaths annually. It specifically identifies GCC of America, Inc. in Tijeras, New Mexico, as a source of mercury pollution and lists numerous New Mexico water bodies under fish consumption advisories due to mercury contamination.

• In August 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established air pollution protections for over 100 cement facilities to comply with 1990 Clean Air Act requirements, targeting reductions in mercury, soot, and other toxics. The EPA projects these measures will prevent up to 2,500 premature deaths annually and provide up to $18 billion in health benefits.
• H.J. Res. 42 is a congressional effort to block the EPA's requirement for cement plants to implement state-of-the-art pollution control technologies.
• Mercury emissions from cement plants pose significant health risks, particularly to unborn babies and young children, potentially causing birth defects, brain damage, reduced IQ, and learning disabilities. The EPA estimates that over 300,000 babies are born annually with an increased risk of learning disabilities due to in utero methylmercury exposure.
• In New Mexico, GCC of America, Inc. in Tijeras (Bernalillo County) operates two dry kilns with a capacity of 432,000 tons/yr and baseline mercury emissions of 53 lbs/yr.
• As of February 2010, the State of New Mexico issued fish consumption advisories for various water bodies due to mercury contamination, including the Pecos River and numerous lakes such as Elephant Butte, Conchas, and Abiquiu.

APA

Earthjustice (n.d.). Cementʹs Toxic Legacy: NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL ATTACKS ON HEALTH PROTECTIONS. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_nm_factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Cementʹs Toxic Legacy: NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL ATTACKS ON HEALTH PROTECTIONS. n.d. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_nm_factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Cementʹs Toxic Legacy: NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL ATTACKS ON HEALTH PROTECTIONS |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_nm_factsheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjusticendcements, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Cementʹs Toxic Legacy: NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL ATTACKS ON HEALTH PROTECTIONS}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/final_nm_factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }