A private corporation (Multitrade Rabun Gap) has proposed to open a wood-fueled electric power plant at the old Fruit of the Loom textile mill in Rabun Gap.

A public meeting to educate citizens about this proposal has been called by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's Air Protection Branch.

Many ForestWatchers and friends commented on the original application, questioning the source of the wood for this plant, and the amounts and types of pollutants this new power plant would emit in the air. The corporation has submitted a revised proposal and now estimates that it would need on the order of 3,278 tons of wood per week.

As best we can tell, a limited supply of such fuel could come off national forests within a 135-mile radius of the plant location, but the U.S Forest Service cannot provide a steady and reliable supply for Multitrade's needs over time.

Help us get deeper into this issue to determine the level of threat to our national forests. Residents in or near Rabun County are especially encouraged to attend this public meeting. Details below.

 

When & Where:

Thursday, July 31, 6-8 p.m.
Rabun County Courthouse

25 Courthouse Square

Clayton, GA 30525

 

More Info:

Visit the EPD website at: http://www.georgiaepd.org/air/airpermit/
Click on the Public Meetings icon, and then the Q & A button for Multitrade. Other buttons at the same site include a copy of the company's permit application, a proposed draft permit, a narrative and a wood procurement plan.

If you’re attending, please be ready to hand over written comments to the agency at the meeting (including copies of any statements you previously filed, if applicable). These comments should be addressed to: James "Jac" Capp, EPD Air Protection Branch, 4244 International Parkway, Suite 120, Atlanta, Georgia 30354, referencing the Multitrade Rabun Gap LLC permit application, No. 18100.

For more guidance, contact ForestWatch District Leader Joe Gatins at 706-782-9944.