There is concern over complete combustion relative to upsets. Concern over formation of dioxins outside the stack. The Fort Collins control room operators are trained to minimize the duration and severity of any upset condition to the maximum extent possible. As mentioned previously, Holnam has a reporting responsibility to the state when upset or malfunction conditions occur and result in excess emissions. Holnam will bring in a third party expert on the subject to talk to the committee on this subject in a future meeting.
Cement is an international commodity.
Holnam is competing with low cost producers from around the world. These low cost producers are located in Asia, Southeast Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, South America and Mexico. Production costs in the U.S. cement industry are anywhere from 2 -3 times higher. Currently Holnam is profitable. However, the company's continued profitability will depend on its ability to compete with these low cost, offshore producers of cement.