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Press release from the N.C. Division of Air Quality:
RALEIGH – The N.C. Division of Air Quality plans to schedule a public hearing to gather feedback on the draft permit for a proposed asphalt plant in Watauga County.
Maymead Inc. applied for a permit Friday to build and operate an asphalt plant at 5251 U.S. Highway 421 South near Deep Gap. Air permits specify the types of air pollution control equipment, production rates, fuels and other limits that facilities must meet to protect air quality.
The division has not set a date, time or location for the hearing yet. Before doing so, the state Division of Air Quality must review the permit application for completeness, conduct air modeling of the facility’s estimated emissions and prepare a draft permit. The state Division of Air Quality will post a notice on its website and notify news media once it sets a date and location for the hearing. That notice will include a public comment period to gather feedback on the draft permit.
By law, the state Division of Air Quality must review permits for compliance with air quality regulations. The division has no authority over land use issues such as zoning, traffic, nearby development or the location of industrial facilities. Local governments are responsible for regulating land use.
More information on air quality issues can be found at the Division of Air Quality’s website, www.ncair.org.
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