DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
PUBLIC NOTICE
SPECIAL ORDER BY CONSENT FOR PCS PHOSPHATE COMPANY, INC.
AURORA, BEAUFORT COUNTY
PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. operates a phosphoric acid manufacturing site in Beaufort County, North Carolina. The facility is located at 1530 NC Highway 306 South, Aurora, North Carolina, 27806. The Company has agreed to a Special Order by Consent (SOC) with the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for operation of six phosphate rock calciners with mercury emission rates above the current Maximum Achievable Control Technology requirements under 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart AA. Because the calciners at PCS Phosphate’s Aurora facility are the only existing phosphate rock calciners in the Subpart AA category, the mercury emission standard in 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart AA was set at a level that was determined based on the average emission rates of the existing PCS Phosphate calciners. As the company collected more mercury emissions data over time, the average mercury emission rate has been determined to be higher than the standard set in 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart AA. PCS Phosphate Company, Inc. has petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) requesting that they revise the mercury emission standard for rock calciners in 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart AA based on the full set of data collected over time, and EPA is currently considering the company’s petition. The SOC allows PCS Phosphate to operate their rock calciners until such time as EPA acts on their petition and then specifies what steps the company must take to comply with 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart AA depending on EPA’s final decision of the petition.
This proposed SOC may be viewed on the NC DAQ web site:
deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/air-quality-enforcement/special-orders-by-consent
A copy of the proposed SOC may also be viewed at the following location & additional information concerning the proposed SOC may be obtained by contacting:
Rob Fisher, Regional Air Quality Supervisor
NC DEQ – Washington Regional Office
943 Washington Square Mall
Washington, NC 27889
Phone 252-975-3716
or
Steve Hall, Technical Services Section Chief
DEQ-DAQ Raleigh Central Office
1641 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1641
Phone 919-707-8404
Interested persons are invited to review the proposed SOC and to submit written comments to the DAQ at one of the above addresses or by email at daq.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with “PCS Phosphate SOC” in the subject line. Any person requesting a public hearing regarding the proposed SOC should submit a written request with a statement supporting the need for such a hearing. The request for hearing should be sent to the DAQ at one of the two above address or at the above email address. All public comments and requests for a hearing must be received by 5 p.m. on September 3, 2019. The DAQ Director shall take final action for the Commission on Consent Orders within 60 days of the initial public notice.