Gypsum Plant Steam Grounds Planes

Steam generated by Colorado plant obstructs view, cancels flights.

 

Steam generated by the American Gypsum Wallboard Plant in Gypsum, Colo., has caused delays and cancellations of flights out of the nearby Eagle County Regional Airport on seven occasions in January, according to a report in the Vail Daily News (Vail, Colo.).

 

Airport officials tell the paper that Colorado’s usually dry winter weather helps the steam evaporate quickly. However, this year, higher humidity has the opposite effect, and the visible clouds of steam over the plant have been occasionally problematic for airport traffic, according to the report.

 

The Vail Daily News reports that American Gypsum Co., headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., and Eagle County commissioners are working on a solution to the problem, which could include installing a condenser in the plant’s smoke stacks.