20080868 Ver 2_Sun Journal - PCS has to wait_20090601

Dorney, John
From: Massengale, Susan [[e-mail]]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 11:03 AM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: PCS Phosphate has to wait
Attachments: ATT00001.c
PCS Phosphate has to wait
-rwn-nts 0 Fe commend 1
May 29, 2009 - 9:34 PM
Nikie Mayo
Sun Journal Staff
PCS Phosphate will have to wait until at least Wednesday to get the Army Corps of Engineers' Record of Decision on a permit
that will allow the company to expand its mine in Aurora.
The Beaufort County company employs more than 1,000, about 400 of whom live in Craven and Pamlico counties. PCS
Phosphate has tried for more than eight years to get a permit to continue its mining operations, and Friday was to be the latest in
years' worth of deadlines.
Earlier this month, the Army Corps of Engineers' Washington, D.C., office said after a review that it supported steps taken by the
Corps' Wilmington district office in the PCS permitting process. The federal office gave the district office the OK to issue a
permit, but "only after completing additional staff work and coordination."
The deadline for the Record of Decision had been Friday, but that was altered after the Corps' Wilmington district office received
an e-mail Thursday night.
"The Assistant Secretary of the Army instructed us to delay until next week," Penny Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Corps'
Wilmington district office, said Friday. "We don't know the reason and we don't have any further information. We have only been
instructed to wait until Wednesday."
Schmitt would not release the e-mail, and said that a Freedom of Information Act request would have to be filed before that
would happen.
A spokeswoman for the company said that PCS Phosphate had been notified of the delay Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the company issued a statement Friday that said the company had reached a safety milestone of 1 million safe work
hours from Dec. 23, 2008 to May 8, 2009.
During that period, no employee had an at-work injury that was serious enough to require the person to miss work.
"This is a tribute to the safety focus of everyone who works at the Aurora facility," said Steve Beckel, general manager of PCS
Phosphate. "It is only through their hard work and dedication to working safely each and every day that this accomplishment was
achieved."
There was no mention of the permitting process in the statement the company issued Friday.
Susan Massengale
Public Information Officer
DENR- Division of Water Quality
1617 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
[phone]; fax [phone]
Please note: my e-mail address has changed to susan.massengalera ncdenr.gov
E-mail corre,V)ondence to and fi•oin this address rna., be subject to the
North Carolina Public RecordLativ° and maY, be disclosed to thircI parties.

Dorney, John
From: Massengale, Susan [[e-mail]]
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 11:03 AM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: PCS Phosphate has to wait
Attachments: ATT00001.c
PCS Phosphate has to wait
)rnmer : G Pc comm_e_nr1 1
May 29, 2000 - 9-34 PM
Nikie Mayo
Sun Journal Staff
PCS Phosphate will have to wait until at least Wednesday to get the Army Corps of Engineers' Record of Decision on a permit
that will allow the company to expand its mine in Aurora.
The Beaufort County company employs more than 1,000, about 400 of whom live in Craven and Pamlico counties. PCS
Phosphate has tried for more than eight years to get a permit to continue its mining operations, and Friday was to be the latest in
years' worth of deadlines.
Earlier this month, the Army Corps of Engineers' Washington, D.C., office said after a review that it supported steps taken by the
Corps' Wilmington district office in the PCS permitting process. The federal office gave the district office the OK to issue a
permit, but "only after completing additional staff work and coordination."
The deadline for the Record of Decision had been Friday, but that was altered after the Corps' Wilmington district office received
an e-mail Thursday night.
"The Assistant Secretary of the Army instructed us to delay until next week," Penny Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Corps'
Wilmington district office, said Friday. "We don't know the reason and we don't have any further information. We have only been
instructed to wait until Wednesday."
Schmitt would not release the e-mail, and said that a Freedom of Information Act request would have to be filed before that
would happen.
A spokeswoman for the company said that PCS Phosphate had been notified of the delay Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the company issued a statement Friday that said the company had reached a safety milestone of 1 million safe work
hours from Dec. 23, 2008 to May 8, 2009.
During that period, no employee had an at-work injury that was serious enough to require the person to miss work.
"This is a tribute to the safety focus of everyone who works at the Aurora facility," said Steve Beckel, general manager of PCS
Phosphate. "It is only through their hard work and dedication to working safely each and every day that this accomplishment was
achieved."
There was no mention of the permitting process in the statement the company issued Friday.
Susan Massengale
Public Information Officer
DENR- Division of Water Quality
1617 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617
[phone]; fax [phone]
Please note: my e-mail address has changed to susan.massengaleCa?ncdenr.gov
E-mail correspondence to acrd firom this address may be subject to the
North Carolina Public Records Lain and waY be disclosed to third parties.