Last Updated on December 27, 2020 by Cass County Online
Compiled from information from Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Waelz Sustainable Products
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management issued the notice of 30-day period for public comment and the notice of public hearing on the new source construction and operating permit for Waelz Sustainable Products LLC in Cass County.
According to the notice, “If approved by IDEM’s Office of Air Quality (OAQ), this proposed permit would allow Waelz Sustainable Products, LLC to construct and operate a new stationary source producing zinc oxide and iron product from Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) dust generated from steel mini-mills.”
The document is available here.
The date that the notice is posted on IDEM’s website marks the
beginning of the public comment period. Due to the virtual public hearing, IDEM, OAQ has extended the 30-day public comment period. All comments must be postmarked, faxed, emailed or delivered in person by Monday, December 21, 2020.
The notice states that the public is invited to attend a virtual public hearing regarding the Waelz Sustainable Products, LLC air permitting preliminary findings. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)
will hold a public hearing to allow for testimony regarding the draft new source construction and Part 70 Operating Permit. IDEM, OAQ will not provide responses to questions or comments made during the hearing. IDEM will review all comments and questions received during the hearing, and submitted as part of the public comment period, and after careful consideration and further analysis, if necessary, provide detailed responses in writing as part of the final decision.
IDEM, OAQ will hold this virtual public hearing via Zoom at the following time and internet address:
Thursday, December 17, 2020 from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM, Eastern Time at the following internet address: https://on.in.gov/wsp
Attendees may also participate in the public hearing by telephone using either of the following telephone numbers:
(301) 715-8592 or (312) 626-6799
Meeting ID: 971 9384 8947
Passcode: 799062
The virtual public hearing will also be streamed live on IDEM’s YouTube page at
https://www.youtube.com/indianadepartmentofenvironmentalmanagement
The following press release was posted on Nov. 16, 2020 on WSPCassCounty.com:
Indiana Department of Environmental Management Issues Draft Operating Permit for WSP
Logansport, IN – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (“IDEM”) today issued for public comment the draft New Source Construction and Part 70 Operating Permit, the air permit that will allow for Waelz Sustainable Products (“WSP”) to complete construction of and operate its zinc recycling facility in Cass County.
“The issuance of our draft air permit is a significant milestone,” stated Michael Englert, General Manager of WSP. “Our air permit application reflects our commitment to meet or exceed Indiana and Federal environmental standards. This is a critical step in our path to begin operations and we look forward to continuing to work with IDEM as it completes its review and approval process.”
The issuance of the operating permit will allow WSP to complete construction of and operate the facility. While ongoing construction of the buildings and their foundations has been allowed under the Clean Air Act, this pending permit will allow the production and process equipment to be installed.
WSP is a joint venture between Indianapolis-based Heritage Environmental Services and Zinc Nacional of Monterrey, Mexico. When completed, the facility will employ 90 full-time staff to produce zinc oxide, a widely-used component in numerous applications, such as sun block, diaper rash cream, cosmetics, sticky notes, dietary supplements, plastics, ceramics, galvanized steel, tires, motor oil and agricultural products like animal feed, and more, and will service the metals sector by providing a sustainable solution for the growing steel industry. The project is expected to generate substantial business tax revenue directed to both Cass County and the State of Indiana, and is slated to be operational in the second quarter of 2021.
To learn more about the WSP project, visit WSPCassCounty.com or Facebook.
About WSP
WSP is a joint venture between Zinc Nacional and Heritage Environmental founded in 2018 to service the steel mini-mill industry by providing a sustainable solution for by-products. WSP combines the experience
of Zinc Nacional as a pioneer in Waelz Kiln technology, along with the environmental expertise and innovation of Heritage Environmental Services.
About Zinc Nacional
Zinc Nacional is a privately-held, family-owned business based in Monterrey, Mexico with more than 60 years of experience in zinc compound production. Zinc Nacional operates Waelz Kiln technology in the
U.S., Mexico, South Korea and Turkey.
About Heritage Environmental Services
Heritage Environmental Services is a privately-held, family-owned business headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with more than 1,600 creative problem-solving team members across North and Central America. Heritage Environmental Services provides a full suite of tailored solutions – from
emergency response, waste disposal, sustainability services, brownfield redevelopment, and on-site support and technical solutions – to thousands of customers in hundreds of industries and verticals.