Volume 21 | Issue 2
Align RNG gets air permit, comments still needed for digester approval from NC DEQ
Earlier this month, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued an air permit to the Grady Road Align Renewable Natural Gas project. This permit pushes North Carolina closer to becoming the nation’s leader in RNG production and the largest agricultural provider of RNG.

However, the process is not over. DEQ’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has recently decided that additional oversight is needed for expanding renewable natural gas in our state and requires that all animal operations choosing to participate in the RNG project first acquire new Animal Feeding Operations Permits.

A virtual public hearing was held on Tuesday night, where we provided comments to urge DWR to approve these permits. Written public comments are still open and we encourage you to submit a new comment by January 29, 2021, urging the agency to approve the draft Animal Feeding Operations Permits. Your support will help carry North Carolina closer to a cleaner and more sustainable future.
HOW TO PROVIDE COMMENTS   
The comment period is open through January 29, 2021. Help us get this permit over the finish line by submitting a comment of support through the web form on AlignRNG.com. A pre-written letter is available at that link.

Comments can also be sent to publiccommentsDWR@ncdenr.gov with the subject line “Swine Biogas” or by leaving a voicemail at (919) 707-9010, or by mail to:  

Ramesh Ravella
Department of Environmental Quality
1636 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1636

The draft permits, permit applications, and environmental justice draft report can be found at https://deq.nc.gov/swinebiogas.

Please contact NC Pork if you need additional talking points.
Nominees sought for 2021 Awards Luncheon*
Click on the name of the award below for the nomination form and details about each of the following awards:

  1. Hall of Fame
  2. Outstanding Pork Producer of the Year
  3. Emerging Leader Award
  4. Award for Excellence in Innovation
  5. W.W. Shay Award for Industry Distinction
*date to be determined once mass gathering limits are increased
Farmers and other frontline workers are in the next eligible group for vaccines; anyone 65 and older can be vaccinated now
Agriculture workers (including meat packing workers, food processing workers, farm workers, migrant farm/fishery workers, food distribution and supply chain workers, restaurant workers) are considered frontline workers and will be eligible to get vaccinated in Group 3. NC is currently providing vaccinations to individuals in Group 1: Health care workers & Long-Term Care staff and residents; and Group 2: Anyone 65 years or older, regardless of health status or living situation.

You are not limited to your home county to get a vaccine. You can go anywhere to get a vaccination, even another state. Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a recent press conference that since the federal government is providing the vaccines, there is are no jurisdicational limits on who can get a vaccine or where. Go to https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot and scroll down to the county chart where you can find links to the county health departments. In some counties you can get on a waiting list now if you are in the first three groups.
Eight things producers should know about the COVID-19 Vaccine
Below are pdfs that you can use to share information about the COVID vaccine with farm workers that were produced by the Pork Checkoff.
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Click to download a PDF version.
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