In a recent decision by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality, the air quality permit for the Moriah Energy Center has been updated to include stricter reporting requirements. Owned by Public Service Company of North Carolina, Inc., the center is designed to operate mainly during periods of excess capacity to liquefy natural gas, converting it back when demand increases, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
As announced in late September and amid concerns for environmental health and safety, Dominion Energy sold Public Service Company of North Carolina, Inc., along with its assets, to Enbridge, Inc. However, Public Service Company of North Carolina, Inc. will continue to oversee the Moriah Energy Center and handle the permitting process. The liquefaction system separates heavy hydrocarbons from natural gas before storage, and the resulting by products will either be injected back into the pipeline or incinerated through flares, as stated by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
According to the Division of Air Quality air dispersion modeling, the facility’s operations should not lead to toxic air pollutants surpassing the accepted levels, ensuring emission standards are met. Regular recordkeeping and inspections are listed among the conditions of the final permit, to affirm adherence to health-based standards by the facility. Notably, the updated permit follows a public hearing and comment period, where feedback from the community has influenced the increased frequency of required reporting.
The final requirement requires the Moriah Energy Center to provide quarterly reports of emissions and operational data, a significant change from the previous annual overview. This measure, as reported by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, is to "help DAQ ensure the facility is operating at minor-source levels."
