H&V Permit Hearing / Public Comment period

[Jeremy Monroe]

Hello neighbors-

DEQ is holding a public comment period and public hearing this Thursday on a higher class air pollution permit for Hollingsworth & Vose Glass Fiber Plant in South Corvallis.

G-T Article: https://www.gazettetimes.com/corvallis/news/local/corvallis-fiber-glass-plant-continues-quest-for-pollution-permit/article_30d550ef-5a1b-596d-83be-ce3ca4614326.html

Draft Permit, and Public Hearing/Comment details at: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/get-involved/documents/080422hollingsworth.pdf

Those of us who have been following this slow permit process see several problems with the draft permit and the process behind it:

• This permit is for pollutant levels that H&V emitted illegally for years before it was discovered (and a violation issued) in 2015/16. In fact, H&V is essentially emitting these pollutant levels right now, since DEQ approved a temporary permit to continue production as-is while they applied for a permanent permit. You may recall this temporary permit approval is what greatly disappointed the community in the last round of DEQ hearings that revealed both H&V's negligence and DEQ's eager accommodation of polluters.

• The increased levels of pollution and the prior permit violation represents industrial intensification that is not allowed for a grandfathered industrial use according to our land development code. H&V properties are mostly in the the Willamette River Greenway, and all were re-zoned in 1999 to the Mixed Use Transitional zone, which requires public land use process for any increase in permitted emissions.
  

• The City inappropriately endorsed this permit without the required land use process involving public notification and public input, ignoring the language and intent of the codes that govern H&V properties. Two citizen appeals of this action are now pending with the State Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA)
  

• H&V has a history of negligence at this aging, blighted industrial site that sits next to neighborhoods, parks, downtown, and the Willamette River. In addition to the air pollution violation, they have had at least two river spills in the last 10 years, and they are also responsible for cleaning up a major soil contamination site from a prior owner.

• DEQ has called H&V into the Cleaner Air Oregon program aimed at increased monitoring of problem polluters, but no accurate reporting has been released for H&V in the last 7 years since the violation.

We need community members to put in their comments to DEQ (see contact info below). Any concerns are valid, but some reasonable questions/comments that could be raised are:

• The regulated pollutant levels in the draft permit are 3 times higher than in the previous permit. This pollution increase is unacceptable by our local land use code, and unacceptable for a polluter with a history of negligence.

•  It is not prudent for DEQ to proceed with a public comment period while two citizen LUBA appeals are pending. There is no need to rush this public comment period, and doing so is not protective of public interest or community health and safety.
  

• The community has seen no accurate emissions information from DEQ or H&V in the last 7 years. Even DEQ's published reports contain erroneous/old formulas. How can we trust DEQ when it has not been diligent with testing or transparent with reporting?

•  Why was a 'temporary' pollution permit granted for a violating polluter? Why was it allowed to stand for 6 years?

• H&V's negligence and old infrastructure continue to pose harm and risks to our community and environment. H&V has had two river spills in the last ten years, and they are also responsible for TCE soil contamination clean-up. This behavior does not merit a new high class Title V permit.
  

• H&V has demonstrated irresponsibility and negligence, while DEQ seems to be continuing with its 'honor system' of pollution enforcement. If it wasn't for citizen watchdogs, DEQ would have never discovered the gross persistent air pollution violation in 2015 or the wastewater river spill in 2014. This pattern does not foster public trust in H&V or faith in DEQ monitoring efforts.
  

• H&V has been 'prioritized' in DEQ's 'Cleaner Air Oregon' reform program, but we have seen no results from that program in the last 4 years, and no information to inform the present permitting process.

• The draft permit request 74,000 tons/year of greenhouse gas emissions, an enormous amount that conflicts with our City's Climate Action Plan.
  

Comments can be made to:

Suzy Luttrell DEQ Permit Coordinator

Email: suzy.l...@deq.oregon.gov

More details in the attached fact sheet / summary.

Please take time to lend your voice to this important community issue.

Jeremy Monroe

[Stony Lohr]

I cc'd Senator Blouin (Sen.Sar...@oregonlegislature.gov) on my email to Suzy Luttrell. Any thoughts on whether that's likely to have any value?

Thanks,

Stony

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[riana...@gmail.com]

Thanks for this, Jeremy. I just submitted comments to Suzy.

[kfmo...@gmail.com]

Stony,

She had quite an impact at the last public in-person meeting we had at the library. Thanks for reaching out to her!

[Angelica Rehkugler]

Subject: Re: [south-corvallis] Re: H&V Permit Hearing / Public Comment period

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QIYjDmIQSXmYGATKTgEUcA

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From: south-c...@googlegroups.com <south-c...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of riana...@gmail.com <riana...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2022 10:19 AM

Subject: [south-corvallis] Re: H&V Permit Hearing / Public Comment period

 

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[kfmo...@gmail.com]

Hello all,

I was called away at the last minute, and couldn't attend this DEQ meeting...I'd like to know what happened, briefly, and if anything was resolved? I realize that it was recorded, but emails to DEQ officials remain unanswered. 

Thanks so much.