SEATTLE — A long-simmering fight over industrial pollution in south Seattle is intensifying after the state’s only cement kiln asked regulators for permission to burn more tires as fuel, prompting a surge of opposition from neighbors and environmental advocates.

Ash Grove Cement , operator of a sprawling plant on the Duwamish River, has applied to lift a restriction that currently caps its use of tire-derived fuel at 30 percent of its energy mix. The request has alarmed nearby residents, who say the proposal risks adding new layers of pollution to an area already surrounded by freeways, warehouses, and factories.

“They really should rethink this permit modification and prioritize the health of their neighbors,” said Mia Ayala-Marshal of the Duwamish River Community Coalition , which i

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