The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has notified RYAM that it plans to issue an air permit for the company's proposed bioethanol production plant at its facility on Gum Street.
The company applied for the air permit last November for construction of the plant for a second generation production process capable of producing 7.5 million gallons of saleable bioethanol per year. The facility also includes several storage tanks.
In the notice issued by FDEP's David Lyle Read, environmental administrator, it stated: The Permitting Authority gives notice of its intent to issue an air permit to the applicant for the project described above. The applicant has provided reasonable assurance that operation of the proposed equipment will not adversely impact air quality and that the project will comply with all appropriate provisions of Chapters 62-4, 62-204, 62-210, 62-212, 62-296 and 62-297, F.A.C.
"We'll live with this new process for a long time and FDEP has said they will not continue testing the emissions of the ethanol plant after the first initial test. Nassau County Sierra Club wants the City to have the protections that the Clean Air Act was intended to provide. The exchange of citizen's safety for a process that will clean the air by 5% or a little more sounds like greenwashing," said Sierra Club President Julie Ferreira.
The notice also stated FDEP will issue a final permit in accordance with the conditions of the draft permit "unless a timely petition for an administrative hearing is filed under Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. or unless public comment received in accordance with this notice results in a different decision or a significant change of terms or conditions."
FDEP said RYAM is required to publish at their own expense the enclosed Public Notice of Intent to Issue Air Permit (Public Notice). The Public Notice shall be published one time only as soon as possible in the legal advertisement section of a newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by this project. The newspaper used must meet the requirements of Sections 50.011 and 50.031, F.S. in the county where the activity is to take place.
The state agency said the public has two avenues to address issuing of the air permit. First is by written comment.
Once the notice is published. FDEP said "the Permitting Authority will accept written comments concerning the draft permit for a period of 14 days from the date of publication of the Public Notice. Written comments must be received by the Permitting Authority by close of business (5:00 p.m.) on or before the end of the 14-day period to the above address and electronically to David Read at David.Read@FloridaDEP.gov. If written comments received result in a significant change to the draft permit, the Permitting Authority shall revise the draft permit and require, if applicable, another Public Notice. All comments filed will be made available for public inspection.
The other method to object is through petition.
If the public seeks to file petitions, FDEP said "A person whose substantial interests are affected by the proposed permitting decision may petition for an administrative hearing in accordance with Sections 120.569 and 120.57, F.S. Petitions filed by the applicant or any of the parties listed below must be filed within 14 days of receipt of this written notice of Intent to Issue Air Permit. Petitions filed by any persons other than those entitled to written notice under Section 120.60(3), F.S.,
must be filed within 14 days of publication of the attached Public Notice or within 14 days of receipt of this written notice of Intent to Issue Air Permit, whichever occurs first. Under Section 120.60(3), F.S., however, any person who asked the Permitting Authority for notice of agency action may file a petition within 14 days of receipt of that notice, regardless of the date of publication. A petitioner shall mail a copy of the petition to the applicant at the address indicated above, at the time of filing. A petition for administrative hearing must contain the information set forth below and must be filed (received) with the Agency Clerk in the Office of General Counsel, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, MS 35, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000, Agency_Clerk@dep.state.fl.us, before the deadline.
Petitioners can also request an extension of time to file a petition.
Last week, Rayonier Performance Fibers conducted a company information forum about the proposed bioethanol plant to be located at RYAM’s wood pulp plant.
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