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1 <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Travis Myren, County Manager <br /> FROM: Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Programs Manager <br /> David Stancil, DEAPR Director <br /> DATE: November 6, 2024 <br /> RE: Update on UNC Cogeneration Facility/Air Quality Permit Modification <br /> This memo serves to provide an update on new information received about the <br /> University of North Carolina's air quality permit modification request to allow a trial use <br /> of "Convergen" brand pellets as an energy source for the university's cogeneration <br /> facility on West Cameron Street in Chapel Hill. Commissioner Fowler raised a petition in <br /> late-September asking staff to investigate this request. <br /> At this time, we can offer the following update: <br /> • The N.C. Division of Air Quality (NCDAQ) within the NC Department of <br /> Environmental Quality (DEQ) shared on November 4 that they plan to allow a <br /> request from UNC to "temporarily place a hold on its permit application over the <br /> holidays to allow DEQ to hold a public hearing in the new year at a time when <br /> students, faculty and other interested parties can better participate." <br /> DEQ staff continued "We are aiming to hold the hearing in early to mid January, and <br /> will likely announce specific details in the coming weeks." <br /> The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) plans to hire a consultant to <br /> study the combustion of the planned pellets and the potential for release of <br /> "forever chemicals" such as Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that <br /> might be present in the pellets into the atmosphere from the cogeneration facility. <br /> The consultant will also be looking into the efficiency of the pellets as a fuel <br /> source. <br /> • We met virtually with two scientific experts on the UNC faculty who have <br /> investigated the question of combustion of this type of pellet and the potential for <br /> PFAS and other by-products being released. The professors noted several <br /> questions they think should be or could be answered by the facility, including in <br /> particular ways to measure the presence of these compounds when the planned <br /> pilot project is underway. This could include actual measurements from the <br /> source and the surrounding area, activated carbon injection, as well as a <br /> formula-driven approach to calculate emissions data. <br />