After it was discovered in July that a Greenville manufacturer had been operating for a year without one, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality permit to Pitt County boatbuilder World Cat Greenville.
DEQ officials said the final permit includes conditions that ensure pollutants beyond the facility’s fence line comply with health standards, and the company must follow specific operational standards and install air pollution controls to reduce particulate matter emissions.
The facility will be subject to unannounced inspections and also must follow all recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
The investigation into World Cat’s year of operation without the air quality permit remain under investigation, including whether any other violations of federal or state air quality regulations occurred. The NC DEQ will submit a recommendation to the director for the issuance of a civil penalty once the investigation is finished.
They add that information currently available shows that World Cat Greenville complied with all applicable air emission standards while operating without a permit.
