LRAPA to host hearing on Eugene sawmill's emission limit-raising permit request

Adam Duvernay, Register-Guard
·1 min read
Freshly cut lumber heads through a sorting station in April at the Eugene sawmill formerly owned by Seneca Sawmill Co. California-based Sierra Pacific Industries bought the Eugene-based Seneca companies and plans "to continue investing in these mills and providing jobs at these mills."
Freshly cut lumber heads through a sorting station in April at the Eugene sawmill formerly owned by Seneca Sawmill Co. California-based Sierra Pacific Industries bought the Eugene-based Seneca companies and plans "to continue investing in these mills and providing jobs at these mills."

Lane Regional Air Protection Agency will conduct a public hearing Wednesday concerning its plan to alter air permits for a Eugene sawmill. The proposal would increase the facility's total allowable emissions.

LRAPA has completed a preliminary review of requested air permit revisions for the sawmill formerly belonging to the Seneca family of companies and now owned by California-based Sierra Pacific Industries. The changes to the permits would increase emission allowances as the company considers increases to production there.

More:Eugene sawmill, powerplant requesting changes to air pollution permits

The sawmill and a contiguous biomass powerplant known as Seneca Sustainable Energy are considered one source of emissions for the purposes of determining whether the facilities are a major source of federal hazardous air pollutants.

Both facilities would be considered a major source of federal hazardous air pollutants under the new permits.

LRAPA would enforce stricter pollution control technology standards under the new permit.

LRAPA said the sawmill's allowable limit for greenhouse gases would increase from 74,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year to 76,933. The yearly emission limit for volatile organic compounds would increase from 99 tons to 249. Limits on some other pollutants would decrease.

Anyone interested in giving testimony concerning the application or permit can do so at a Zoom meeting Wednesday. The meeting begins with a 4:30 p.m. informational session. The public hearing will follow the informational session.

To attend by video, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87820711434. To attend by telephone, call (253) 215-8782.

The webinar ID for the meeting is 839 8386 7065.

Anyone wishing to submit written information can email permitting@lrapa.org by 5 p.m. Aug. 22.

Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: LRAPA to host hearing on Eugene sawmill emission limit-raising permit