The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality has issued an air permit for the coal ash beneficiation project at Duke Energy Progress’s former Cape Fear Power Station in Moncure, North Carolina. The permit applies to the installation and operation of a Staged Turbulent Air Reactor (STAR) to convert fly ash for use in cement. In response to public comments, the Division of Air Quality staff revised the original draft permit to include additional recordkeeping and reporting.
DEQ staff thoroughly reviewed the comments received during the public hearing and comment period. Changes to the permit include a requirement for more frequent reporting of the total emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2). The permit also adds additional inspection, maintenance and recordkeeping conditions for the scrubber on the STAR Reactor.
The Coal Ash Management Act (CAMA), as amended, required Duke Energy to identify three impoundment sites suitable for beneficiation projects. The Cape Fear STAR facility is the third of those sites.
The hearing officer’s report, final permit review, final permit and environmental justice impact statement are available on the department’s webpage: https://deq.nc.gov/CapeFearAirPermit
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