A state audit released today says that the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources could speed up the process of approving air quality permits by as much as 52 percent and eliminate a backlog of applications by the end of next year.

DENR officials say they are encouraged by the findings, which were developed in part, during a workshop conducted by N.C. State University's Industrial Extension Service, Dan Kane reports. B. Keith Overcash, the director of DENR's Division of Air Quality, said staff have already begun using some of the techniques developed from the audit.

The workshop helped identify one of the major snags in the permitting process — a lack of information provided by applicants in their permit applications. The back and forth required to complete the applications often drags on for months. The audit also found that DENR's Division of Air Quality needs to adopt standardized review methods to speed up the process.

The audit said that DENR could save $572,439 and avoid hiring an additional seven staff if it followed the recommendations.

The federal Clean Air Act requires all major sources of air pollution — such as electric utilities, manufacturing facilities and governmental installations — to obtain an operating permit. Just under 340 facilities have permits, and as of Dec. 31 there was a backlog of 229 applications, most of them for renewals.

Richard Moore says the Cliffside coal plant can wait.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate said today that state air quality regulators should wait to issue a permit for a new coal-fire plant.

"North Carolina should focus on new, efficient energy choices and conservation rather than building more high polluting, coal fired power plants,” he said in a statement.  "This type of plant should be a last resort, not a first option."

Moore argued that carbon dioxide emissions from the plant could contribute to global warming and damage air quality in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Duke Energy plans to build the 800-megawatt coal-fired plant in the Blue Ridge foothills, but it needs a permit from the state Division of Air Quality.