Source: NCDEQ, 12/6/21 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 is holding two
technical stakeholder workgroup meetings. 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: 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.
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