Further steps urged before state permits New Hanover cement plant

A hearing officer reviewing the plans for a proposed cement factory in New Hanover County said the state and the company should do more work before permits are granted.

In a report issued Thursday, hearing officer Paul K. Muller said the state needs more information on how Titan America will control pollution from the plant it wants to build in Castle Hayne. The Division of Air Quality is considering a permit for the plant, which would produce 2 million tons of cement each year along with pounds of poisonous byproducts. Muller, the supervisor in the division's Asheville office, reviewed the state's draft air permit and public comments on it.

Among his recommendations are for the state to review impacts on soil and plants, and to ask Titan to determine how mercury from the plant would affect fish in the nearby river. The company should tell the state how it plans to keep mercury out of the Northeast Cape Fear River, which is under federal restrictions because of existing mercury pollution, Muller said.

State air quality director Keith Overcash can take Muller's suggestions or ignore them.

Efforts to reach the spokeswoman for Titan on Friday were unsuccessful.

Gov. Bev Perdue has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to see whether "undue political pressure" was involved as the company sought permits. A friend and aide to former Gov. Mike Easley is a lobbyist for Titan.

Environmental groups are suing to have the state perform a complete environmental review before it issues any permits.

Muller's report points out flaws they've known about all along, said Geoff Gisler, a lawyer with the Southern Environmental Law Center. But it does not go far enough in correcting those problems, Gisler said in a prepared statement.

Latest Comment View all comments