Titan America received its state air permit Wednesday after a nearly four-year application process.
WHQR’s Michelle Bliss reports that the regulatory approval brings Titan one step closer to opening its proposed cement plant in Castle Hayne.
The North Carolina Division of Air Quality issued Titan’s permit after holding public hearings on the draft document last fall and sifting through more than a thousand public comments.
The DAQ's decision was delayed when the federal Environmental Protection Agency approved stricter limits on air pollutants.
A court case also slowed the process. Titan ultimately turned down more than four million dollars in incentives, after a judge ruled that using public funds would require the company to undergo a full environmental impact study before receiving any permits.
Titan is now able to apply for a batch of other permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers.
If built, the Castle Hayne facility would be the only cement plant in the state.
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