The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) will host a digital public hearing on Monday, August 30 on a draft permit modification for Flowers Timber Company, Inc. located in Wayne county. The permit modification incorporates changes to meet the state’s recently enacted methyl bromide regulations. The public is invited to participate online or by phone.
In 2018, DAQ initiated rulemaking for state regulation of methyl bromide, an odorless, colorless gas which can cause neurological and respiratory effects. As of November 1, 2020, the use of methyl bromide for log fumigation is regulated by a new state emissions rule and an amendment to North Carolina’s state air toxics rule.
If you wish to speak at the public hearing, you must register by August 30 at 4 p.m. To register, please visit: https://bit.ly/3BSRdH8 or call (919) 618-0968.
For those who are unable to attend or who experience technical difficulties, comments can also be submitted by email to DAQ.publiccomments@ncdenr.gov with the subject line “Flowers Timber” or via voicemail at (919) 707-8430. Comments will be accepted until September 1, 2021 at 5 p.m.
The draft permit, draft permit review, and environmental justice draft report can be found at https://deq.nc.gov/methyl-bromide.