Company Challenges Permit for Tishomingo Silicon Plant

SELMA, Ala. — Today, a petition was filed for a formal hearing before the Mississippi Environmental Quality

Permit Board, challenging PSD Permit No. 2640-00060, issued by MDEQ to Mississippi Silicon LLC (MS Silicon) for the proposed construction of a greenfield silicon metal manufacturing facility in Tishomingo County, Miss.

Globe Metallurgical, Inc. (GMI), which employs about 100 people at its silicon metal plant in Selma, Ala., filed the petition. As one of North America’s largest producers of silicon metal, GMI is intimately familiar with air pollution sources and environmental controls in the

industry. Silicon metal is an industrial ingredient vital in the production of an array of products.

According to GMI, the permit issued to MS Silicon would allow the site to emit air pollutants without certain control devices that are standard in the industry and, for some processes, without any air pollution controls at all.

GMI believes MS Silicon’s application did not provide complete and accurate information to enable MDEQ to fully evaluate air-quality considerations. In addition, MDEQ seems to have been under pressure to process the permit more quickly than a thorough process would allow. In this case, the review process took only three months.

In filing the appeal, GMI formally requests that the permit be sent back to MDEQ so that the agency can ensure that MS Silicon installs the latest emission-control equipment, meets current air-quality standards, and provides complete and accurate information so that the agency can properly review the facts and re-consider whether a permit should be issued.