Sustainable Madison
PO Box 1135, Marshall, NC 28753
828-649-6767
sustainablemadisoncounty@gmail.com
Sustainable Madison is a chapter of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League which is a registered 501(c)3 non profit.
The Department of Environmental Quality is currently holding a public comment period in which anyone can offer comments stating their concerns about this plant’s operation.
The Modeling the DEQ has done to determine if they can issue a permit for this plant is flawed- it is not reflective of the actual site
• They have not taken into consideration that the asphalt plant would sit at the beginning of a rock canyon on the French Broad River valley where the air is frequently trapped and condensed above the town of Marshall. Because of this, the emissions from this plant would accumulate in the inversion layer, they will not be mixed or dispersed as their modeling purports, and will impact our health and quality of life.
The NCDEQ Weather Data Modeling is Inadequate!
Toxic emissions from the plant will accumulate hourly during inversions instead of dissipating into the atmosphere and could exceed maximum levels.
They have used the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as the background nitrate level for their modeling, which is unrealistic and underestimates the pollution levels already in our area.They use 9 ug/m3 as the background emissions for their modeling, while most monitors in the state measure 60-90 ug/m3. They should use more comparable background levels, ones which actually reflect an area where people live and work, NOT levels from a pristine National Park.
• Onsite weather stations are needed to determine the true impact of inversions and this topography on toxic emissions.
Sustainable Madison
PO Box 1135, Marshall, NC 28753
828-649-6767
sustainablemadisoncounty@gmail.com
Sustainable Madison is a chapter of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League which is a registered 501(c)3 non profit.