POET Biorefining - Fairmont, LLC

PUBLIC NOTICE

Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment 

Permitting and Engineering Division

Notice is given to the public, according to Chapter 10 of Title 129 - Nebraska Air Quality Regulations as amended September 28, 2022, that the Department is proposing to issue a Class I operating permit to POET Biorefining – Fairmont, LLC (FID 86026) for an existing ethanol manufacturing plant, (Standard Industrial Classification code 2869), located at 1214 Road G Fairmont, Fillmore County, Nebraska. The potential emissions of regulated air pollutants (in tons per year (tpy)) at this facility will be: 114.88 tpy  Particulate Matter (PM), 76.28 tpy PM ≤ 10 microns (PM₁₀), 43.75 tpy PM ≤ 2.5 microns (PM_2.5), 80.50 tpy Sulfur Dioxide, 98.65 tpy Oxides of Nitrogen, 103.06 tpy Carbon Monoxide, 216.73 tpy Volatile Organic Compounds, 9.98 tpy Acetaldehyde, 2.65 tpy Acrolein, 2.27 tpy Formaldehyde, 4.00 tpy Methanol, 19.96 tpy total HAPs, and 872,124.60tpy Greenhouse Gases CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e).

Fillmore County meets the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for those pollutants subject to a NAAQS and is expected to continue in that status. Fillmore County is unclassifiable in regard to the state Total Reduced Sulfur (TRS) standards and no TRS emissions are expected from this project. No impact is anticipated on habitat for any rare or threatened species.

The NDWEE proposes to issue a Class I operating permit with specific conditions, based on Title 129, which authorizes specific requirements from federal rules: NSPS (40 CFR 60) Subparts A, Db, Kb, VVa and IIII; NESHAP (40 CFR 63) Subparts A, ZZZZ, and CCCCCC; specific testing requirements for various equipment; specific inspection, operation, maintenance, and monitoring requirements; and specific recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

The proposed permit and supporting materials are available for inspection by the public Tuesday, December 9^th, 2025 through Monday, January 12^th, 2026 at the office of the NDWEE, 245 Fallbrook Boulevard, Suite 100,Lincoln, Nebraska 68521 and electronically at https://dwee.ne.gov. Comments received during this period will be considered prior to the final decision. During this period the applicant, or any interested person or group of persons, may request or petition the Director for a public hearing, the request must state the nature of the issues to be raised and all arguments and factual grounds supporting their position. If a public hearing is granted by the Director, the hearing will be advertised by public notice at least 30 days prior to the hearing.

Inquiries may be made at (402) 471-2186 or dwee.airquality@nebraska.gov . Individuals requiring special accommodations or alternate formats of materials should notify the NDWEE by calling (402) 471-2186.  TDD users should call (800) 833-7352 and ask the relay operator to call the NDWEE at (402) 471-2186. For further information, to submit comments, or request a hearing you may contact the NDWEE by email “dwee.airquality@nebraska.gov” or by mail submitted to the attention of David Christensen, Air Quality Division, 245 Fallbrook Blvd, Suite 100, Lincoln, Nebraska 68521.

Please notify the NDWEE if auxiliary aids, reasonable accommodations or alternate formats of materials are needed at least one week in advance.  Contact phone number is (402) 471-2186.  TDD users please call 711 and ask the relay operator to call us at (402) 471-2186. 

The NDWEE does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, or sex in administration of its programs or activities, and NDWEE does not intimidate or retaliate against any individual or group because they have exercised their rights to participate in or oppose actions protected/prohibited by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7, or for the purpose of interfering with such rights.

Within 60 days after the US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator review, persons may petition the Administrator to object to the issuance of the proposed permit. Any such petition shall be based only on objections to the permit that were raised with reasonable specificity during the 30-day comment period, unless the petitioner demonstrates that it was not practicable to raise such objection within such period. For specific dates for which the 60-day petition period is open, contact Stephenie Moyer at (402) 471-2186.  Petitions should be submitted electronically through EPA’s Central Data Exchange at https://cdx.epa.gov .  If the petitioner is unable to use the Central Data Exchange, EPA requests that your submission be emailed to titleVpetitions@epa.gov .  If petitioner is unable to submit electronically, then a hard copy of the petition can be submitted, please contact the permit writer above for EPA’s address.

Si necesita traducción de documentos al Español, por favor llame a NDWEE al (402) 471-2186.