Public Notice
Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board
P. O. Box 2261 | Jackson, MS 39225
515 East Amite St. | Jackson, MS 39201
Telephone No. (601) 961-5171
Public Notice Start Date: September 16, 2020
MDEQ Contact: Jaricus Whitlock
Biewer Sawmill Newton, LLC (“Biewer”), located at 331 Coliseum Drive in Newton, MS, (810) 300-4984, has applied to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for the following permitting action: Issuance of a Title V Operating Permit (TVOP) (Air Ref. No. 1980-00044). The applicant's operations fall within SIC Code 2421 (Sawmills and Planing Mills, General). An Information Relative document has been prepared that contains a discussion of the decision-making that went into the development of the permit and provides the permitting authority, the public, and other government bodies a record of the technical issues surrounding issuance of the permit. The Information Relative also addresses any changes to emissions resulting from any modification of the facility. Biewer is an existing manufacturer of dried dimensional lumber from harvested southern yellow pine timber. Facility-wide operations include a sawmill area, two (2) log process debarkers, one (1) bark hog, four (4) continuous direct-fired drying kilns (fueled by natural gas), one (1) wood chipper, a planer mill area, a residual wood storage area, above-ground storage tanks, and one (1) natural gas-fired emergency generator engine. Based on its maximum production capacity, Biewer has the potential to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), an individual hazardous air pollutant (HAP – specifically methanol), and all combined HAPs in excess of applicable Title V major source thresholds [i.e. 100 tons per year (tpy) for VOCs; 10 tpy for an individual HAP; 25 tpy for all combined HAPs]. In regards to the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) applicability, Biewer has the potential to emit VOCs above the applicable threshold of 250 tpy and is considered a PSD major stationary source. However, issuance of the TVOP will not change the facility’s PSD current classification. The staff of the Permit Board has developed this draft permit based on information submitted to the Permit Board by the applicant, appropriate State and Federal agencies and other interested parties. The staff of the Permit Board is soliciting all relative information pertaining to the proposed activity, including public comment, to ensure that the final staff recommendation on the draft permit complies with all State and Federal regulations. Public review and comment on the draft permit and supporting documentation is an important element in the staff evaluation and resulting recommendation to the Permit Board. The draft permit conditions have been developed to ensure compliance with all State and Federal regulations but are subject to change based on information received as a result of public participation.
Persons wishing to comment upon or object to the proposed determinations are invited to submit comments in writing to
Mr. Jaricus Whitlock at http://www.mdeq.ms.gov/whitlock-jaricus/ or to the Permit Board address shown above no later than the end of the thirty (30) day public notice. All comments received by this date will be considered in the formulation of final determinations regarding the application. A public hearing will be held if the Permit Board finds a significant degree of public interest in the proposed permit. Persons wishing to request a public hearing may do so by submitting that request in writing to Jaricus Whitlock at http://www.mdeq.ms.gov/whitlock-jaricus/ or to the Permit Board address shown above. The Permit Board is limited in the scope of its analysis to environmental impact. Any comments relative to zoning or economic and social impacts are within the jurisdiction of local zoning and planning authorities and should be addressed to them. After receipt of public comments and thorough consideration of all comments, the staff will formulate its recommendations for permit issuance and a proposed permit if that is the recommendation. The Title V Permit to Operate is a permit that is required by Title V of the Federal Clean Air Act and the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Law. The Title V permit is a Federally-enforceable permit as well as a State permit. Therefore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will also be allowed an opportunity to review the application, proposed permit, and all comments received during the public comment period prior to Permit Board action on the application. The status regarding EPA’s 45-day review of this project and the deadline for citizen’s petitions can be found at the following website address: https://www.epa.gov/caa-permitting/mississippi-proposed-title-v-permits. Additional details about the application, including a copy of the draft permit, are available by writing or calling the Public Records Request Officer at the above Permit Board address and telephone number or by completing the form at the following website: https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/about-mdeq/public-records-request/public-record…; Additionally, a copy of the draft permit and statement of basis may be found on the MDEQ’s website at: http://opc.deq.state.ms.us/publicnotice.aspx. This information is also available for review at the office of the MDEQ at the Permit Board address shown above during normal business hours. Please bring the foregoing to the attention of persons whom you know will be interested.
Publish Date: September 16
