By Michelle Bliss
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/whqr/local-whqr-987947.mp3
Wilmington, NC –
The last public hearing is Thursday evening from 6-10 at UNCW.
About 100 people gathered Tuesday for each public hearing on Titan America's draft air permit for the company's proposed cement plant in Castle Hayne. WHQR's Michelle Bliss reports that the events, hosted in New Hanover County by the state Division of Air Quality, or DAQ, brought out a balanced mix of advocates from both sides of the issue.
Each speaker was allowed three minutes. Allie Sheffield, the president of PenderWatch conservancy group, used her time to talk about scrubbers, the filters Titan would use to control air emissions like mercury.
"The scrubbers that DAQ is allowing Titan to use reduce the emissions somewhat but not as much as they could. And we think they ought to be much lower than they are now, especially if it's possible and it is."
DAQ Spokesperson Tom Mather says that division officials checked with other plants to make sure Titan's equipment plan falls into the top 10 percent of industry standards, known as "best available control technology."
Bob Odom is the general manager of development for Titan's local subsidiary Carolinas Cement.
"That's what we want to do, is meet all the regulations. If we can even be below the regulations, that's even better. But, the equipment we have will allow us to meet all the regulations."
At the event, opponents sported stickers urging DAQ officials to require a full environmental review of the operation before issuing an air permit. Odom says that level of review isn't required by the state and would delay the project.
"If we had to wait for that, we're talking about two years. And that's two years we cannot be specifying or designing equipment. That just puts us two years back: we're not hiring anybody; we're not making cement."
DAQ Spokesperson Mather says that division officials cannot mandate a full review under the state-level process known as SEPA because Titan is not receiving public funds. The DAQ can only pass that suggestion along to the Department of the Secretary of State.
Sheffield is one of many suggesting the full review. She says she's concerned about the proximity of the proposed plant's emissions.
"Titan is in our territory. I mean, Titan is on the border of New Hanover and Pender, and we are east of it, and the wind blows west to east, so the air pollution from Titan is coming to Pender County."
The DAQ is accepting comments through the end of the month, and scrubber suggestions are welcome.
Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? If so, we'd like to hear from you. Please email the WHQR News Team.