DEQ holding Public Input Meeting on Animal Waste Management Digester System General Permits Dec. 14

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will hold an online public input meeting on December 14 on the development of the new Animal Waste Management Digester System General Permits. Members of the public may participate online or by phone.

DEQ is conducting this meeting as part of its commitment to a transparent public engagement process during the development of the general permits. In addition to this public meeting, the Department will hold two technical stakeholder workgroup meetings in November and December. Stakeholders for the technical workgroups represent community groups, environmental justice organizations, environmental advocacy organizations, state and federal agencies, academia and industry. DEQ also plans to hold three public hearings in early 2022 to receive comments on the draft general permits as part of its public engagement process.

Event title: Public Input Meeting on Animal Waste Management Digester System General Permits
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 14, 2021, 6-9 p.m.
Webex Link: https://bit.ly/3EA15Gn
Event Password: AFOPermit2021 (23673764 from phones)
Meeting Number (Access Code): 2431 249 0753
By Phone: +1-415-655-0003 US TOLL

Members of the public who wish to speak at the December 14 meeting should sign up by 5 p.m. on December 13. Speakers can sign up using DEQ’s online form.  For those who cannot attend the meeting, public input can be submitted via email to publiccommentsDWR@ncdenr.gov until December 17, 2021. Note: Additional opportunities for public comments on the draft general permits will be announced in early 2022.

Currently, digester systems are processed as modifications to a facility’s existing permit. Section 11 of the 2021 Farm Act (Senate Bill 605) established specific requirements for the development of the Digester System General Permits. The new general permit will include all of the existing and enforceable requirements of the 2019 State General Animal Waste Management Permits, including developing and maintaining a Certified Animal Waste Management Plan, and complying with siting, buffer, testing, inspection and reporting requirements.

The Digester System General Permits stakeholder process will focus on permit conditions specific to the implementation of digesters. Summaries of the technical workgroup sessions will be posted online prior to the Public Input Meeting. The goal of this stakeholder process is to provide a meaningful opportunity for public engagement in the general permit development process.

Additional information and updates on the stakeholder process are available online.