State to hold public hearing on International Tie Disposal’s permit application

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality on Thursday announced that it will hold a virtual public meeting, and later a public hearing, to answer community questions and take comments regarding the draft permit submitted by International Tie Disposal last fall to construct a heavy industrial pyrolysis facility on Marks Creek Church Road outside Hamlet.

This comes after Hamlet City Manager Matthew Christian sent a letter to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in November asking them to require a public hearing on the permit out of concern for the safety of residents in the area, who raised many concerns when the Richmond County Board of Commissioners considered rezoning the property last fall.

Because International Tie Disposal is applying for a synthetic minor construction permit, as opposed to a “major” one, they were not required to submit to a public hearing. Under 15A NCAC 02Q .306(a)(1), DEQ can require a public hearing “based on public interest relevant to air quality,” among other criteria. A DEQ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how they decided to require a public hearing in this case.

In his letter, Christian said that by asking for this hearing he was acting in his duty to “protect the health, safety and welfare of our community” and that International Tie Disposal’s potential future plant raises concerns that “our rural community may be irreversibly altered.”

“The proposed industry is unprecedented and we remain extremely concerned about the health, safety, and welfare of our community,” Christian said in an email Thursday. “I am glad that NC DEQ is providing a process for meaningful public input. The people of Hamlet, Dobbins Heights, and Richmond County must have their voices heard.”

How to participate

Questions will be answered at the public meeting, while comments will only be received at the public hearing. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. March 3, 2021.

The online public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 22, 2021. It can be accessed toll-free by calling +1 (415) 655-0003 and using the access code “178 013 3745.” The WebEx link is https://bit.ly/3cbemdt, and the event password is “NCDAQ.”

Those who wish to speak at the public meeting must register by 4 p.m. on Feb. 22. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3ogUGYm or call (919) 618-0968.

The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. on March 1, 2021, also virtually. It can be accessed toll-free by calling +1 (415) 655-0003 and using the access code “178 470 3734.” The WebEx link is https://bit.ly/39golwj, and the event password is “NCDAQ.”

To speak at the public hearing, you must register by 4 p.m. on March 1. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3iJjiHU or call (919) 618-0968.

How we got here

International Tie Disposal, based in Weddington, North Carolina, submitted an application for a synthetic minor construction permit on Sept. 15 that would authorize the development of a biochar production site at 174 Marks Creek Church Rd.

The company, which filed articles of organization in Ohio on Nov. 21, 2019, would be the first company to use pyrolysis to produce biochar, according to Basil Polikva Jr., who is director of pyrolysis implementation for this site. The USDA defines pyrolysis as “the heating of an organic material, such as biomass, in the absence of oxygen” and explains further that, “(b)ecause no oxygen is present the material does not combust but the chemical compounds (i.e. cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) that make up that material thermally decompose into combustible gases and charcoal.”

The plant would receive untreated lumber and creosote-treated railroad ties by rail or truck, shred this down and load it into kilns, according to a permit application obtained by the Daily Journal. Under the conditions of the synthetic minor permit application, the company would limit its emissions of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide to less than 100 tons per year and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) to less than the 10 tons per year threshold for individual HAP and 25 tons per year for combined HAP.

International Tie Disposal would hire 55 staff at a salary between $18 and $24 an hour with full health benefits, and will represent a $12 million investment in the county, according to Polivka Jr. He added that they will rely on local contractors as well.

The residents have raised concern about noise from the plant, fugitive emissions, water runoff from the stored railroad ties, and increased traffic on their roads, all of which they fear would contribute to a loss of property value and quality of life. The company has held multiple meetings with residents and provided some data to help ease these concerns and discuss what can be done to mitigate harm to the local community.

Christian said he wants analysis to be done on more than just the topic of the public hearing, which will be air quality concerns.

“I believe we need additional analysis of other environmental factors — particularly the threat of toxic runoff into our public water supply,” he said. “We remain committed to the well-being of our community.”