New Stormwater Permit for Timber Products Excludes Wood Chip Mills
RALEIGH -- The Division of Water Quality has decided that the new general stormwater permit for North Carolina's timber products will exclude wood chip mills pending the outcome of an environmental and economic impact study.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' study on chip mills, which is being prepared by N.C. State University and Duke University, is expected to take two years.
Preston Howard, director of DWQ, said chip mills will continue to be regulated under the old general stormwater permit, which actually expired last August.
"Chip mills that are operating under the expired permit will continue to be covered until we complete the study," Howard said. "After that, we'll take another look at the stormwater issue and decide whether to set up a separate chip mill permit altogether."
In the meantime, new and expanding chip mills will have to apply to DWQ for individual, site-specific stormwater permits. Other timber products industries, such as lumber companies and plywood mills, will be regulated under the new general stormwater permit signed April 1.
DWQ's action followed months of review and public notice of the draft permit in January.
For information contact Bradley Bennett, stormwater supervisor, DWQ, at (919) 733-5083, extension 525.
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Date Posted: April 14
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