CEO says plant doesn’t need permits
Published: Dec 29, 2006 - 11:10:51 pm CST
By Katie Stallcup
The Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ — Biofuel company CEO John Rivera said his company does not need state or national permits for the future Natchez plant because his process produces no emissions.
Rivera’s company, U.S. Sustainable Energy Corp., recently bought, through a holding company, land and warehouse buildings near the Natchez-Adams County Port.
Rivera said he had not applied to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality because his soybean-to-fuel process doesn’t create waste.
“We have no emissions to the atmosphere or into water,” Rivera said. “That’s my claim to fame.
“The only permit I could possibly need would be a rainwater discharge permit. If a Girl Scout was selling cookies under a tent, she would need a rainwater discharge permit.”
He said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials visited his research and development facility in Port Gibson “at least eight times” to verify he did not need a permit for that facility.
The Port Gibson facility, much smaller than the planned Natchez plant, started developing the production system in 1996, he said.
Rivera said he did not remember immediately who from the EPA visited the plant. Attempts to reach Rivera for further details were unsuccessful.
Laura Niles, a spokeswoman for EPA Region 4, said she did not have information about Rivera’s Port Gibson plant.
“You need permits depending on the size of the plant and what chemicals are on the site,” Niles said. “More than likely, he will need state permits.”
The MDEQ is delegated the authority to enforce EPA air and water permitting programs, MDEQ officials said.
“Whether you need an air emissions permit is based on your potential to emit,” said Bryan Collins, chief of the energy and transportation branch for the MDEQ environmental permits division. “If you do not exceed those thresholds, you may not have to have a permit.”
Collins said he was unaware if the EPA had visited the Port Gibson facility or not.
“The EPA doesn’t come over here and do things without us knowing about it,” Collins said. “That’s not to say Mr. Rivera has not had individuals from EPA attend a visit to his facility.
“It would be very unusual for EPA to have direct contact with a potential manufacturing site as taking the lead on it without referring people to us.”
