– By Tiffani Ireland –

The Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Tuesday, May 6, that it has decided to issue an air construction permit to Piedmont Wood Pellet Johnston, LLC, the wood chipper plant Enova plans to build at a site on Hwy 121.  This permit allows for the building and operation of a new wood pellet manufacturing facility at the Johnston location.

In their statement announcing the decision, DHEC said the company has demonstrated that it can comply with state and federal air quality regulations.  DHEC further stated that concerns and issues raised by citizens in regards to this plant’s construction did not legally prevent the issuance of the permit.

Enova will now have to seek a building permit from Edgefield County before the facility can be built.  However, at a recent DHEC hearing held on April 15, regarding this plant, an Enova representative seemed eager to move forward with the building process and gave the summer of 2014 as a hopeful start date for the plant’s construction.