Dixon’s mayor says he received good news earlier this week regarding an idle cement plant.
St. Mary’s Cement halted operations in 2008, leaving dozens of people without work. That year, the U.S. EPA and the Department of Justice also announced a settlement with the company to resolve Clean Air Act violations at the facility.
Dixon Mayor Jim Burke says the company is ready to turn the lights back on for at least the next two years.
“They could make a decision to keep the plant open way beyond two years, but I think it all depends on what the economy does. At least that’s what their schedule is now.”
Burke says crews are now sprucing up the property, but he’s not aware of an exact date for re-opening or exactly how many people will be hired.