Oregon Department of Environmental Quality approves NEXT Renewable Fuels’ air quality permit

In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) approved the air quality permit for NEXT Renewable Fuels’ $2 billion clean fuels project. The approval is a significant milestone and key state permit for developing the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel facility at Port Westward in Columbia County, Oregon.

The air permit was awarded after ODEQ performed an exhaustive 18-month review. The extended review period included a host of new and novel requirements that NEXT worked to meet and exceed. As such, ODEQ acknowledged that the NEXT facility does not have an appreciable impact on local air resources.

In its approval, agency leadership stated, “NEXT Renewable Fuels Oregon, LLC is not a major source of EPA-listed hazardous air pollutants,” and “DEQ has concluded the potential emissions meet health risk standards for the community and do not require additional controls to be protective of public health.”