Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Forsyth County proposes Air Quality ordinance updates to align with state rules and relax some gasoline-station permitting thresholds
Summary
The county's Environmental Affairs Division proposed amendments to the Air Quality Control Ordinance and technical code to consolidate asbestos rules with state language, adjust gasoline-dispensing facility throughput thresholds, align sulfur dioxide accounting with state rule changes, and update incinerator provisions.
Minor Barnett, director of Environmental Affairs and Protection, briefed the board on proposed amendments to Chapter 3 of the Forsyth County Code (Air Quality Control) and the county's air quality technical code.
Barnett told commissioners the amendments are grouped into four parts: asbestos, gasoline dispensing facilities, sulfur dioxide accounting for combustion sources, and incinerator provisions. He said the asbestos amendments consolidate local rules and amend language so they read identically to the state rules enforced by the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Hazards Control Unit in 97 counties, and that the changes will simplify compliance for contractors working across counties.
On gasoline-dispensing facilities, Barnett said staff proposes raising the annual throughput threshold that triggers a Title V construction and operating permit from 15,000,000 gallons a year to 53,000,000 gallons a year, reflecting lower evaporative emissions from modern vehicles compared to when the older standard was adopted in 1995.
Barnett said the sulfur dioxide amendments change how sulfur dioxide emissions are accounted for, specifically addressing the use of supplemental fuel to increase combustion temperature (for example, flaring landfill gas or biogas). He said state rulemaking and EPA recommendations prompted the county to adopt language that aligns with the state's approach and disallows accounting methods that mask compliance with national ambient air quality standards by adding natural gas to landfill gas flares.
The incinerator updates would formalize county authority to enforce applicable federal regulations for any new incinerators; Barnett said the only incinerators currently operating in the county are several crematoria and one pet crematorium.
Commissioners thanked staff for the extensive packet and asked clarifying questions about sulfur dioxide accounting and the large change in gasoline throughput thresholds. Barnett told commissioners he would stop the briefing to take questions and said staff would present the proposed amendments for public hearing and consideration on the board's upcoming agenda.
No formal action was taken at the briefing; staff said they prepared the draft amendments and would proceed through the public hearing and adoption process.
