North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality has informed the Canary Coalition that it is denying requests for public hearings on Title V permits for utility-owned coal-burning power plants. This is the second consecutive year public hearings have been denied, reversing the policy set by former DENR Secretary Bill Holman of opening the Title V process to public and press scrutiny.

“This represents a serious breach of faith by the DAQ with the environmental community and the people of North Carolina in general,” said Avram Friedman of the Canary Coalition. “This policy change undermines public faith in the effectiveness of the state’s principal air quality enforcement agency. If they aren’t willing to open the process to the public it creates at least the appearance that there is something to hide. The Title V process combines all local, state and federal air quality regulations into one permitting process with the purpose of simplification for industry, regulators and public input and monitoring. But, the streamlining also limits opportunity for public involvement.”

Friedman said the current process for licensing utilities needs to be re-examined.

“This is another example of why the State needs to seriously consider a major overhaul of the DAQ. This agency has become little more than an inside spokesman for the industries it’s supposed to be regulating. That’s not supposed to be the way it works,” said Friedman.

The Sylva-based Canary Coalition in the past two years has initiated a statewide campaign to reform the Division of Air Quality, citing a poor enforcement record relative to agencies in other states. According to EPA statistics, the DAQ has an 11 percent enforcement rate against industrial air quality violations, ranking 47th in the nation.

For more details or to review the letter the Canary Coalition sent to DAQ Director Keith Overcash in response to the rejection of public hearings visit www.canarycoalition.org/DAQ/TitleV.doc.