AQ_GEN_PIO_20230203_MISC_PressRls

Website: www.deq.nc.gov
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncdeq
Twitter: @NCDEQ
1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601

Roy Cooper, Governor Elizabeth S. Biser, Secretary

Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Shawn Taylor Date: Feb. 2, 2023 Phone: [phone]
DEQ Requires Enviva Pellets Ahoskie Add Controls, Update Dust Plan in New Air Quality Permit
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has issued a
modified air quality permit to Enviva Pellets, LLC – Ahoskie Plant.
The Title V permit renewal requires the wood pellet manufacturing facility in Hertford County to install new air
pollution control devices that will substantially reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). This equipment includes a regenerative thermal oxidizer and a regenerative
catalytic/thermal oxidizer.
Once the new controls are installed and tested, Enviva Pellets Ahoskie will move from being a major source
under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program to a minor source. The permit limits the
facility’s VOC emissions to less than 250 tons per year and HAP emissions to less than 10 tons per year of any
one HAP and less than 25 tons per year for all HAPs combined.
The permit also includes modifications to allow an increase in production from 481,800 oven dried tons to
630,000 oven dried tons per year and increases the percentage of softwood to a maximum of 100%. To ensure
compliance with emission requirements, the facility must conduct stack testing if the monthly softwood content
or the monthly production rate increases by more than 10%.
The modifications in this permit will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, including fine
particulate matter (PM2.5). The final permit includes conditions that ensure ambient levels of all pollutants
beyond the facility’s fence line comply with emission standards, including applicable health-based standards.
The issuance of this permit followed an extensive public engagement period during which DAQ solicited public
comments on a draft of the air permit. The Division advertised the comment period in local media and conducted
outreach to local governments, health departments, churches, libraries, housing authorities, community groups
and the Meherrin Tribe. DAQ held an in-person public hearing in Ahoskie on Aug. 16, 2022, to hear directly
from the community.
Division staff thoroughly reviewed the comments received on the draft permit during the public hearing and
comment period. In response to community concerns, the permit was updated to require Enviva Pellets to submit
a new fugitive dust plan to the Division within 90 days of installing the control devices. This plan must show
how Enviva will maintain and operate its equipment in ways that ensure dust does not drift beyond the property
boundary.
Residents concerned about dust emissions or other potential air quality violations from any facility are
encouraged to submit a complaint to their nearest Division of Air Quality Regional Office. Concerns about dust
at Enviva Pellets Ahoskie should be directed to the Washington Regional Office at 252-946-6481. All complaints
are assigned for investigation.
Website: www.deq.nc.gov
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ncdeq
Twitter: @NCDEQ
1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1601
Additional updates were made to the permit in response to public comment, including limits to HAP emissions
during construction, new data collection requirements, new stack testing conditions, and other adjustments and
corrections. DAQ sent the updated permit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which had no comments
after a review of the permit.
DEQ heard additional community feedback during a special meeting of the Secretary’s Environmental Justice
and Equity Advisory Board on Nov. 17, 2022, and received additional recommendations from Board members.
In response, DEQ staff met with Enviva representatives to convey concerns from the board and the community
and discuss recommendations that fall outside of DAQ’s current permit action. During that meeting, DEQ
pointed to ways the company could voluntarily address concerns of neighbors near their facilities, including
submitting a permit request to add fugitive dust plans at their remaining facilities, examining their best practices
for trucks entering and exiting the site, adjusting the equipment used at night to alleviate noise concerns and
conducting additional community engagement. The letter from the board, DEQ's response and the facility's
response are available online.
The permit contains conditions that provide DAQ the compliance and enforcement tools necessary to ensure the
facility is operating as represented in its permit application while complying with state and federal air quality
regulations. The facility will be subject to unannounced compliance inspections and must follow all
recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
The final permit, the final permit review, the hearing officer’s report, the environmental justice report and Enviva
Pellets’ permit application documents are available online.
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