Seneca’s BASF pursues “significant modification”

According to South Carolina DHEC, a large manufacturing operation wants “a significant modification” to its Title V operating permit.  The manufacturing operation is BASF in the Reedy Fork Community.  Title V operating permit is a federal program to standardize air quality permits and the permit process for major sources of emissions.  In the case of Seneca’s BASF, South Carolina DHEC has published a public notice announcing that a review of the application is underway and public feedback is invited.  It’s not just a review by the Air Quality division of the state’s health and environmental department, there’s also what’s called a parallel permit review by the EPA.  Analysis by Kirk Schneider of DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality reads, in part, “The potential for visible emissions is minimal and evident in the site history of visible emission inspections” and “Facility-wide emissions will not change as a result of this permit modification.”