Prairie Wood Products applies to renew air pollution permit

Published 6:15 am Tuesday, August 16, 2022

PRAIRIE CITY — Prairie City’s newly reopened sawmill is applying to renew an air quality permit.

Prairie Wood Products sawmill holds a permit that expires in early December and has applied for a five-year renewal, according to a public notice from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The proposed permit does not increase the sawmill’s emission limits, according to DEQ.

In the public notice, the DEQ noted Prairie Wood filed a timely renewal application, and the current permit remains valid until the state decides.

Under the permit, the facility would be required to monitor air contaminants by using federally approved monitoring practices and standards.

Among other conditions, the permit caps Prairie Wood at releasing no more than 74,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year, according to DEQ.

Generally, DEQ points out, a facility’s actual emissions are less than the maximum limits established in a permit. Nonetheless, the level of actual emissions can increase to the capped limit.

The public can submit written comments regarding Prairie Wood’s pending renewal for an air quality permit to Nancy Swofford, DEQ’s air quality permit coordinator.

Comments can be sent by mail to Oregon DEQ, 475 NE Bellevue Drive, Suite 110, Bend, OR 97701 or by email to eraqpermits@deq.oregon.gov. To be considered, comments must be received by 5 p.m. Sept. 9.

Those looking for additional information can reach Swofford at the same email address or by phone at 541-633-2021.

To read the full public notice, go to the DEQ website at https://tinyurl.com/4hky3ba3.

The draft permit and related documents are available for public review at the Grant County Public Library in John Day. The address is 507 S. Canyon Blvd.