The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (“ADEM”) and CM Biomass (“CMB”) entered into a Consent Order (“CO”) addressing an alleged violation of an air permit. See CONSENT ORDER NO: 26-XXX-CAP.
The CO provides that CMB operates a pellet mill in Crossville, Alabama.
The facility is stated to operate pursuant to an air permit, which authorizes the operation of the rotary dryer with a 57 MMBtu/hr direct-fired sawdust burner controlled by an array of two (2) cyclones in parallel.
ADEM is stated to have received the results of stack tests performed at the facility on July 23, 2025. Such results are stated to have indicated a PM average of 42.82 lbs/hr, in violation of the applicable emission limit.
In response to an ADEM Notice of Violation, CMB stated that the issue only occurred because the probes that were inserted into the duct during the stack test broke up collected contaminants on the dryer cyclone, resulting in the discharge of material during the stack test that is not normally emitted. Further, CMB is stated to have indicated that the emissions reported during the test were not representative of normal operations at the facility.
The CO further discusses follow-up MP testing conducted on December 2, 2025. Results are stated to have been limited due to the nature of the stack test. The CO provides that even the limited results provided from the stack test indicated that the PM average would have been well over the allowed emission limit.
ADEM received results of a stack test performed at the facility on December 17, 2025, which indicated a PM average of 23,38 lbs/hr, which was 91,4 percent of the applicable emission limit.
CMB neither admits nor denies ADEM’s contentions by entering into the CO.
A civil penalty of $40,000 is assessed.
A copy of the CO can be found here.
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