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Buncombe County air board says storm recovery work proceeding while long-term burning and cleanup require new permits
Summary
County air quality staff reported roughly 30 demolition/asbestos permits tied to Tropical Storm Lane and outlined steps for long-term use of air curtain incinerators, temporary chipping at a plastics plant and repeated mulch fires in Barnardsville.
At a meeting of the Buncombe County Air Quality Board, staff reported continued recovery work from Tropical Storm Lane and new air-permitting challenges as cleanup shifts from emergency response to longer-term operations. Ashley, the board’s director, said the program has issued about 30 demolition and asbestos-removal permits so far, down from roughly 130 reported in the first three months after the storm, and described several permitting and nuisance-complaint issues that could require board review.
The director said two federal programs are supplying the current batch of work: FEMA-funded demolition/asbestos removals and FEMA’s property buyout program, which pays pre-storm value for properties that will not be rebuilt. Ashley said municipalities and contractors are coordinating on payment of permit fees and that Buncombe County has received a county purchase order for permits it issued on county properties; arrangements for municipal reimbursement remain under discussion.
Staff briefed the board on air curtain…
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