Forestry company pulls request to use toxic pesticide in NC

WILMINGTON, N.C. – An Australian-owned forestry company will no longer seek to use a highly toxic, heavily restricted pesticide at a North Carolina fumigation site.

The StarNews of Wilmington reports that the state Department of Environmental Quality said Malec Brothers Transport will use debarking methods instead of methyl bromide to prepare logs at its Columbus County site.

The company had requested a permit to annually emit 140 tons of the chemical, which poses threats to the ozone layer and human health. Residents had raised concerns, questioning if the site’s proximity to schools would affect children.

The department has since set emission standards requiring facilities to capture and control 90 per cent of emissions.

DEQ spokeswoman Sharon Martin says site inspectors determine an air permit isn’t required for debarking.

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Information from: The StarNews, http://starnewsonline.com