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World Cat is seeking a state air permit for its boat-building operation on Staton Road.

World Cat is seeking a state air permit for its boat-building operation on Staton Road, above.

World Cat is seeking a state air permit for its boat-building operation on Staton Road.

World Cat is seeking a state air permit for its boat-building operation on Staton Road, above.

A boat manufacturer is seeking a state air permit to operate its Greenville facility, and the public has a chance to weigh in on the request.

World Cat Greenville uses styrene to manufacture its outboard power catamarans. Styrene is classified as a volatile organic compound and hazardous air pollutant, said Shawn Taylor, a spokesman with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality.

A public hearing on World Cat’s request is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday in the Max R. Joyner Auditorium in the Walter and Marie Williams Building, Pitt Community College, 2105 Warren Drive, Winterville.

“Public engagement is critical to our air permitting program; public comments are always considered before taking final action, and this public feedback has led to adjustments and improvements to the draft permits before they are issued,” Taylor said. “We welcome anyone with questions or comments to attend the Aug. 25 public hearing or leave a public comment.”

Since the facility’s styrene emissions are expected to be greater than 10 tons per year, Taylor said, the facility has to comply with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Fiberglass Boat Manufacturing. The emissions would come from the resin and gelcoat application area.

The permit application has drawn the interest of people living in northern Pitt County. Members of the North of The River Association, which formed to oppose a the data processing firm Compute North, said they plan to attend Thursday’s session.

The organization has not taken an official stand on World Cat’s request but individuals in the group have concerns.

“We care about the environment. We heard about their request for the air permit,” said Syene Jasmin. “We are concerned about the health and safety of people and the exposure people may have to potential pollutants.”

Lisa Tyson is concerned because EIC Head Start, which has 338 students, across Staton Road from the World Cat facility. The Greenville Aquatics and Fitness Center also is nearby, she said. An official at the aquatics center said between 100 to 300 people use the facility daily.

Tyson worries people at the two locations may suffer negative effects.

“We are at a major time in our environment when it comes to climate change,” Jasmin said. “This region is expected to have heat indexes of 125 degrees 30 years from now. We want to make sure Greenville is a place where people can live and thrive but also live healthy lives.”

A check of Department of Environmental Quality records also shows that HC Composites, World Cat’s parent company located in Tarboro, was assessed a $6,468 civil penalty on July 26.

Taylor said the penalty was associated with two notices of violation that were issued June 25, 2021, and Jan. 28 of this year.

The violations were because the company failed to file an annual compliance report in 2020 and submitted an incomplete report in 2021.

The Jan. 28 letter noted the 2021 incident was the fifth time in five years that the company had either failed to file a report or filed an insufficient report.

World Cat officials did not respond to requests for comment.

In the permit review for the Greenville facility, World Cat’s process is described as spraying a styrene-based gelcoat to the hull and deck forms and molds in the lamination area and allowing it to cure during the manufacturing process.

Styrene-based resin and fiberglass used for structural support will be hand-applied over the gelcoat on the mold. In addition to the hand/spray resin application to the open mold, the facility will use vacuum infusion/resin transfer molding for some components and some model lines, the review said.

The draft permit would require panel filters to be installed on each exhaust stack to control and reduce particulate matter emissions, Taylor said.

He said the facility has to record daily the material it uses and the application methods: It will conduct daily record keeping of materials used and application methods as appropriate; the raw material usages and corresponding chemical species usages also will be recorded; and the emissions will be calculated as monthly and rolling 12-month cumulative totals.

This provides reasonable assurance of compliance with permit emission limits and to demonstrate compliance with the hazardous air pollutant limits, Taylor said.

Styrene is a North Carolina Toxic Air Pollutant and there are limits to the ambient levels so the facility doesn’t “contribute beyond the facility’s premises to any significant ambient air concentration that may adversely affect human health.”

Modeling done by the state’s Division of Air Quality’s Air Quality Analysis Branch shows that World Cat Greenville would not exceed the acceptable ambient level for styrene or any other pollutant, Taylor said.

Contact Ginger Livingston at glivingston@reflector.com or 252-329-9570.

www.Reflector.com 1150 Sugg Pkwy Greenville, NC 27834 Main Phone: 252-329-9500 Customer Care Phone: 252-329-9505

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