The N.C. Division of Air Quality is inviting public feedback on a permit Duke Energy is seeking to process coal ash for reuse in concrete and other products.
A public hearing for the proposed coal ash benefication project at the Buck Combined Cycle Facility is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium at North Rowan High School, 300 North Whitehead Avenue, Spencer. The public is invited to provide comments at the hearing or submit comments in writing to DAQ until Tuesday. Written comments should be sent to: Kevin Godwin, N.C. DEQ, Division of Air Quality, 1641 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1641.
The 30-day public comment period started March 9 and concludes April 10. State officials with the Department of Environmental Quality mailed post cards to residents in the area and sent public notices to churches, retirement home and the city of Salisbury. All of the permit documents and information about the public hearing have also been published to DAQ ‘s website at: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/public-hearing-duke-energy-carolinas-llc-buck-combined-cycle-facility.
Duke’s permit application is for the first part of a two-step modification to the utility’s current Title V air quality permit. The company needs the modification to install and operate a fly ash processing facility at its Buck Combined Cycle Facility in Salisbury. The proposed facility is designed to process annually up to 400,000 tons of coal combustion fly ash with other waste materials to produce ash that can be used in ready mix concrete or other commercial products.
DAQ will consider all comments before determining whether to issue or reject the permit, or issue it with conditions.