Owens Corning Withdraws Air Quality Permit Application

This was posted at Oregon Department of Environmental Quality today:

Owens Corning Withdraws Air Quality Permit Application for Proposed Insulation Plant in Gresham

Owens Corning has notified the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that it is withdrawing its air quality permit application for a proposed polystyrene foam board insulation plant at 18456 NE Wilkes Road in Gresham.

The permit application was for a plant that would use and emit HCFC-142b, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon blowing agent classified by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an ozone-depleting substance and a greenhouse gas.

In the notification letter DEQ received, Owens Corning states that the company is not interested in constructing the facility as described in the air quality permit application at this time.

“If Owens Corning reapplies, DEQ will provide a public review process for that new application,” said DEQ NW Region Administrator Dick Pedersen.

HCFC-142b is regulated under Title VI of the federal Clean Air Act. EPA regulations prohibit construction of new equipment that will emit HCFC-142b and prohibit manufacturing and importing HCFC-142b after Jan., 1, 2010.