For immediate release: 

Ashtabula County Water Watch (ACWW), a dedicated group of professionals, farmers, students and elders in Ashtabula County, and whose priorities are clean air, water, land and ecosystems, has filed an appeal to the new EPA air permit granted to Petmin USA, on July 17, 2020. Ashtabula residents have significantly higher levels of chronic illness, obesity, poverty and less education than Ohio State averages.  ACWW believes that the increased emissions proposed by Petmin will likely adversely affect the health of all residents, especially our vulnerable populations, in Ashtabula and has the potential to adversely affect the land, water and air of Ashtabula City and County. ACWW also believes that the placement of a pig iron plant in Ashtabula Harbor will negatively impact tourism and our 2018 national designation of, "America's Main Street," and the use of the Ashtabula River and Lake Erie for recreational activities such as kayaking, swimming, fishing, birding, biking, canoeing and boating. We have attached a copy of the permit and the appeal on our website: www.ACWW.us The Notice of Appeal was submitted to the EPA August 17th, 2020 and the case is now pending.

Causes for appeal:

·        The addition of 56.68 tons per year (tpy) of Nitrogen oxides (NOx)

·        Additional 37.40 tpy of Particulate matter 10 (PM10)

·        Additional 42.90 tpy of Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5)

·        Additional 458 tpy of Carbon monoxide (CO) and

·        200,868 tpy Carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into our air we breathe

For reference, you would need to plant over 30 million new trees to absorb this much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and would require over 80,000 acres of land to be converted into new forests.

These additional and dramatic increases in emissions, while the American Lung Association gives Ashtabula County an “F” rating for Ozone in its State of the Air report.
Additional monitoring by ACWW has found air quality in Ashtabula in the immediate vicinity of the facility frequently meets or exceeds National Ambient Air Quality Standards for multiple criteria pollutants
The initial permit mandated construction of a standalone facility for the recapture of carbon dioxide (CO2)... Petmin submitted a new application for a permit-to-install, contemplating substantial design changes to the facility. The subsequent and instantly appealed Permit does not mandate construction of the initially contemplated CO2 recapture facility.
The appealed Permit establishes many emissions limits which are less restrictive than those in the initial permit-to-install.
Ashtabula community is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution and degraded air quality with above state averages of poverty, lack of access to health care and insurance. Additionally, Ashtabula residents are disproportionately impacted by high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma.
Natural resources, vibrant tourism industry and recreational activities stand to be impacted by the construction and emissions activities authorized by the Permit.

Ashtabula County Water Watch is requesting your support in this appeal process. Please sign this petition in support of our appeal, either as a group or as an individual, and consider contributing to Ashtabula County Water Watch's GoFundMe to help us cover the legal fees and services associated with filing the appeal. You can also get involved and join ACWW on our website by signing up for our newsletter as well.