Document reR44YZXYDbMxewmZO1kzX3bV
Region 6 - Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division
INSPECTION REPORT
Inspection Date(s): Media Program: Regulatory Program(s)
Company Name: Facility Name: Facility Physical Location:
(city, state, zip code) Mailing address:
(city, state, zip code) County/Parish: Facility Phone Number Facility Contact:
03/12/2025 Water CWA
GCC Rio Grande, Inc. Tijeras Plant 11783 State Highway 337 South Tijeras, NM 87059 Post Office Box 100 Tijeras, NM 87059 Bernalillo 505-286-6081 Samantha Kretz
Environmental Manager- South Region
skretz@gcc.com
FRS Number: Identification/Permit Number: Media Identifier Number: NAICS: SIC:
110000600831 NM0000116 N/A 327310 3241
Personnel participating in inspection:
Samantha Kretz
GCC Rio Grande, Inc.
Miranda Moore David A Esparza, P.E.
GCC Rio Grande, Inc USEPA/ECDWM
Environmental Manager-South Region Environmental Engineer Environmental Engineer
EPA Lead Inspector Signature/Date
DAVID ESPARZA Date: 2025.04.08 16:32:09 -06'00' Digitally signed by DAVID ESPARZA
David Esparza
Date
Supervisor Signature/Date
ROBERTO BERNIER Date: 2025.04.09 07:13:47 -05'00' Digitally signed by ROBERTO BERNIER
Roberto Bernier
Date
6ENFORM-019-R8.2 (02/12/2020)
1
Section I - INTRODUCTION
GCC Rio Grande, Inc./ Tijeras Plant
Permit No: NM0000116 Inspection Date 03/12/2025
PURPOSE OF THE INSPECTION
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 inspector David Esparza, PE, arrived at the Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC)-Rio Grande Portland-Tijeras Plant (Rio Grande Portland) at approximately 0930 AM on March 12, 2025, for an unannounced inspection. I presented my credentials to Ms. Samantha Kretz, Environmental Manager-South Region and Ms. Miranda Moore, Environmental Engineer and informed them that this was an EPA inspection to determine the facility's compliance under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, in accordance with the CWA. The generation of this report is based on information supplied by Rio Grande Portland representatives, observations made by the EPA inspector, NMED and records and reports maintained by the permittee (Rio Grande Portland), and the EPA. Before leaving the facility on March 12, 2025, an exit briefing was held with Ms. Kretz and Ms. Moore to explain areas of concern noted at the time of the inspection.
FACILITY DESCRIPTION
Rio Grande Portland owns and operates the Tijeras Mine and Mill consisting of a Portland cement plant and multiple open pit limestone quarries. The facility operations are in Bernalillo County in the East Mountain area approximately fifteen miles east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the Village of Tijeras. at 11783 State Highway 337 on approximately 2,100-acres (depicted in Aerial Image #1 below). The site is bordered on the west and east by U.S. Forest Service land within the Cibola National Forest. The U.S. Department of Energy also owns land adjacent to the southern boundary. The site is bordered by private land on the north and east. The mine and mill have been in operation since 1959. Ideal Basic Industries began construction and development of the site in 1958. Holnam, Inc. acquired the property and its operations in 1990. In 1995, GCC-Rio Grande purchased the site and the facility.
Currently Outfall 001 is the only permitted discharge utilized for stormwater runoffs from quarry, storage and production areas, cooling and/or cleaning water, and well water. In the event of a discharge occuring, the surface flows would traverse into unclassified reaches of Corral Canyon, thence to Tijeras Canyon, thence to a classified reach of the Rio Grande.
2
GCC Rio Grande, Inc./ Tijeras Plant
Permit No: NM0000116 Inspection Date 03/12/2025
Aerial Image #1- Overall view of the GCC Rio Grande Portland- Tijeras Plant. Aerial from Google Earth Treatment Scheme/Process The predominant raw material used in the process is limestone, which is extracted from a quarry adjacent to the plant. Other raw materials, including silica, alumina, and iron are transported to the site via truck. Raw milling involves mixing and grinding the raw materials to provide the kiln feed with the correct chemical and physical properties. The milling ensures optimal fuel efficiency in the cement kiln and strength in the final concrete product. The plant uses a dry milling process to prepare the kiln feed. This means that the materials are dried before or during the grinding process and no water is added. In Pyroprocessing (kilns), the raw materials are heated to produce Portland cement clinker. The kiln system consists of preheating, calcining (a process in which calcium oxide is formed), and burning (reaction of the oxides to form clinker). The clinker cooling operation recovers approximately 30% of kiln system heat, preserves product quality, and enables the cooled clinker to be handled by belt conveyors. The facility uses reciprocating grate coolers. Air sent through the clinker to cool it is directed to the rotary kiln where it nourishes fuel combustion. Conveyors then transfer the clinker to a covered storage pile until the product is moved to the finish mill. Section II - OBSERVATIONS
I observed the following and the following information was provided and/or stated
The facility maintains two (2) above-ground storage tanks (ASTs). These ASTs are double walled and situated within a containment vault.
The earthen sediment pond capacity equates to an approximate 4M-gallons. Open flows/controlled discharges are to permitted Outfall 001. It was stated the last controlled
discharge was circa August 2022. The facility does not perform analytical analysis on-site, but uses Eurofins Environment Testing to
perform applicable analysis, in conjunction with Bio Aquatics Services.
3
GCC Rio Grande, Inc./ Tijeras Plant
Permit No: NM0000116 Inspection Date 03/12/2025
The facility had secure perimeter fencing; thus, limiting access. The overall operations and maintenance (O&M), and general facility housekeeping appeared to be in good order in the portions that were observed.
Section III - AREAS OF CONCERN I observed no areas of concern at the time of the inspection EPA Region 6 inspector David Esparza conducted a closing conference at Rio Grande Portland/Tijeras Plant at approximately 12:30 PM on March 12, 2025, for the inspection. Section IV - FOLLOW UP The following information was received by EPA on March 21, 2025, after exiting the Facility on March 12, 2025:
Analytical results Facility site layout and maps with descriptions. Section V - LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1 - Photo Log - 3 photos taken 3/12/25 Appendix 2 - Tijeras Plant Building General Layout Appendix 3 - Overall Tijeras Facility Site Map
4
GCC Rio Grande, Inc./ Tijeras Plant Permit No: NM0000116
Inspection Date 03/12/2025
Appendix 1 Photograph Log
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 1
Location: GCC-Rio Grande Portland- Tijeras Plant
City: Tijeras
County/Parish: Bernalillo
State: New Mexico
View of 4M-gallon earthen sediment pond looking approximately Southeast. (IMG_0276). (Photographed 03/12/2025: 10:48 AM) Photographed by D. Esparza.
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 2
Location: GCC-Rio Grande Portland- Tijeras Plant
City: Tijeras
County/Parish: Bernalillo
State: New Mexico
Another view of the 4m-gallon earthen sediment pond looking approximately Northeast towards Interstate-40 (I-40). (IMG_0277). (Photographed 03/12/2025: 10:48 AM) Photographed by D. Esparza
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 3
Location: GCC-Rio Grande Portland- Tijeras Plant
City: Tijeras
County/Parish: Bernalillo
State: New Mexico
View of the 4M-gallon earthen sediment pond looking approximately Southwest. (IMG_0278). (Photographed 03/12/2025: 10:52 AM) Photographed by D. Esparza
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Photograph Log
Photo No. 4
Location: GCC-Rio Grande Portland- Tijeras Plant
City: Tijeras
County/Parish: Bernalillo
State: New Mexico
View from the berm of the 4M-gallon earthen sediment pond looking approximately Northeast towards Outfall 001 and I-40. (IMG_0279). (Photographed 03/12/2025: 10:53 AM) Photographed by D. Esparza
GCC Rio Grande, Inc./ Tijeras Plant Permit No: NM0000116
Inspection Date 03/12/2025
Appendix 2
Tijeras Plant Building
General Layout
Building Description
53
1 1/27/25 PLACEMENT OF AREAS
MTH
49
20
21
LAND BOUNDARY
48 19 55 46 18
51 17 #5 55 14 16
33 34
32 24
#8
23
55
15
DUST COLLECTOR
13
50
22
2 1
3 55
#6
47
12
4
43 42
TUNNEL
40
39 38
29
25
26
58
10
RAW MILLS (2) FINISH MILLS (3)
5
6
45 41
37 36
35
44 56
27
30
8" FK
28
LINE
9 8
8" FK LINE
6" FK LINE
31 LINE 6" FK 52 7 57
LAND BOUNDARY
NOTE:
SATELITE IMAGE IS REPRESENTATIVE, LAYOUT IS FOR REFERANCE AND PROPERTY SURVAY DATED ON 1994 BY VLADIMIR JIRIK SHOULD BE USED FOR OFFICIAL PROPERTY BOUNDARIES. GNSS TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY AND DRONE IMAGES ARE REFERENCED TO A NAD83 (2011) NEW MEXICO CENTRAL ZONE US FOOT COORDINATE SYSTEM.
1 Laboratory and Offices, 18,620.74 ft 2 Employee Parking, 26 spaces, 9.74' each space. 3 Visitor Parking, 4 spaces. 4 Handicap Parking, 2 spaces. 5 Packhouse Substation, 7,011.58 ft 6 Sack Cement Storage, 4,959.40 ft 7 Cement Storage Silos, 8,853.29 ft 8 Pump House and Cooling Tower, 551.59 ft 9 Mill Building, 20,821.64 ft 10 Raw and Clinker Silos, 23,751.63 ft 11 Electrical Room, 2,366.07 ft 12 Control Room, 20,807.14 ft 13 Coal Silo, 1,560.68 ft 14 Employee Parking, 55 spaces, 9.22' each space.
15 Belt Conveyor "C", 1,938.36 ft 16 Maintance Building, 23,440.00 ft 17 Scrap Metal Bins, 866.12 ft 18 Transfer Tower, 315.77 ft 19 Belt Conveyor "B", 2,586.58 ft
20 Gas Meter 21 Electrical Sub Estation, 303.85 ft
22 Kilns 23 Dual Drives, 660 ft each one
24 Kiln Feed Building 25 Blending Silos, 12,472.23 ft 26 Limestone Transport Belt Conveyor, 5,297.80 ft 27 Additive System, 1,231.08 ft 28 Cements Storage Silos, 6,238.47 ft
11
29 Dust Bins, 753.74 ft 30 Storage Building, 4,063.18 ft 31 Warehouse Building, 4,841.86 ft 32 Kilin ID Fan, 259.02 ft each one 33 Dust Bins, 440.26 ft 34 Kiln Dust Bag Houses, 12,372.06 ft 35 Tank (Empty), 2,153.02 ft 36 Water Pump House, 1,597.09 ft 37 Water Tank, 2,153.02 ft 38 Screen Building, 1,647.01 ft 39 Primary Belt, 1,780.22 ft 40 Secondary Belt, 2,152.63 ft 41 Crusher Substation, 702.21 ft 42 Crusher Building, 1,714.14 ft
43 Dump Hopper, 342.88 ft
44 Well No.2
45 Quarry Office, 1,055.40 ft
46 Coal Storage Building, 17,793.03 ft
47 Covered storage Area, 34,923.83 ft
48 Crusher, 302.12 ft
49 Public Service Substation
50 Clinker Coolers.
51 Diesel #2, 1,140.66 ft
52 Cooling Water Sump.
53 Well No.1
54 Well No.3
0
55 Lighting
56 Pump House, 71.71 ft
57 Truck Scale, 1632.92 ft
GCC RIO GRANDE TIJERAS PLANT
GENERAL LAYOUT
SCALE
120
240 Feet
GCC Rio Grande, Inc./ Tijeras Plant Permit No: NM0000116
Inspection Date 03/12/2025
Appendix 3
Overall Tijeras Facility Site Map