After reviewing public comments, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) has issued Columbia Plywood Corporation - Columbia Carolina Division, a plywood manufacturing facility in McDowell County, a first-time Title V air quality permit.

The change in permit class from synthetic minor to Title V allows Columbia Plywood to install an air curtain incinerator (ACI) unit at the facility to burn its wood waste for disposal. This unit will increase the facility’s potential emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide above major-source thresholds.

Air dispersion modeling reviewed by DAQ demonstrated that the facility’s emissions of toxic air pollutants and the ACI’s emissions of particulate matter are not expected to cause an exceedance of health-based limits. The facility’s throughput and hours of operation will be restricted to limit emissions of hazardous air pollution.

The final Title V permit includes conditions that ensure ambient levels of all pollutants emitted by the facility comply with emission standards, including applicable health-based standards, beyond the facility’s fence line. The facility will also be subject to recordkeeping and reporting requirements and regular inspections.

Copies of the final permit, final permit review, permit application, and a one-page project fact sheet are available online.