DNR seeking public comments on Atlas Molded Productions

WASHINGTON — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is look for public comments on the Title V Operating Permit for Atlas Molded Productions, a division of the Atlas Roofing corporation.

DNR permit section supervisor Marnie Stein said the company located at East 15th Street on the north side of Washington met all the permit’s requirements, but the process was still open for public comment until Aug. 28.

“They are in compliance right now,” she said. “The Clean Air Act won’t allow us to issue the Title V permit if the company is violating any of its limits or not doing its record keeping. Before we put this out for public notice, we thoroughly check that they’re meeting all their obligations.”

While those obligations are technical and quantitative, Stein said they could be shaped by public feedback.

“The public is able to comment on things in the permit that they feel perhaps we set the limit wrong,” she said. “Or they may comment on the level of record keeping or testing. Then we evaluate those comments, EPA looks at those, and then based on the number of comments we may take action or we may not take action.”

Stein stressed that the process was a routine requirement every five years for Iowa’s top 300 sources of certain air pollutants and not reflective of any problems from the company.

“The proposed permit for Atlas Molded Productions is the fourth Title V permit renewal,” Stein said in an email. “We did not receive public comments on any of the previous Title V permits for Atlas.”

A copy of the permit review is available on the DNR website. Those seeking to make comments can mail them to Derek Wedemeier of the Iowa DNR Air Quality Bureau, at 502 E 9th St. in Des Moines before the comment period ends Aug. 24.