Boulder County planners delay extension of much-maligned Cemex

Opponents of extending the life of the Cemex mine and cement kiln near Lyons claimed a win for neighbors and climate change late Wednesday, as the Boulder County Planning Commission delayed a proposed 15-year extension for the operation and signaled they may reject it.

The Cemex county-issued mining permit at Dowe Flats, north of State Highway 66, runs out in September. A separate state air pollution permit for the cement kiln, where the mine’s rock is delivered by a conveyor belt over the highway, runs indefinitely.

The international cement giant has offered to shut down the kiln and its 357,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year in 2037, and give Boulder County hundreds of acres of open space, if the 15-year permit extension is approved. 

The planning commission staff negotiated…