Public Notice
Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board
P. O. Box 2261 | Jackson, MS 39225
515 East Amite St. | Jackson, MS 39201
Telephone No. (601) 961-5171

Public Notice Start Date: July 22, 2026	MDEQ Contact: Ryan Wigginton

University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), located at 2500 North State Street in Jackson, MS, (601) 984-1415, has applied to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for the following permitting action: Renewal of Synthetic Minor Operating Permit Ref. No. 1080-00102. The applicant's operations fall within SIC Code 8062: General Medical and Surgical Hospitals.  A Statement of Basis has been prepared that contains a discussion of the decision-making that went into the development of the permit and provides the permitting authority, the public, and other government bodies a record of the technical issues surrounding issuance of the permit. The Statement of Basis also addresses any changes to emissions and/or discharges resulting from any modification of the facility.  
UMMC is an existing facility that provides medical services and serves as the health sciences campus for the University of Mississippi.  The facility generates air emissions from operating combustion units such as boilers, water heaters, dryers, air make-up units, and emergency generators.  The facility also utilizes storage tanks.  The facility applied to reissue the current operating permit with minor changes including the addition of six (6) new emergency diesel-fired emergency engines, five (5) natural gas-fired air make-up units, eight (8) natural gas-fired boilers, and six (6) natural gas-fired heaters, as well as the removal of two (2) boilers, removal of three (3) emergency generators, and the relocation of one (1) existing emergency generator.  The facility's potential-to-emit exceeds the Title V threshold of 100 tons per year for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO); however, UMMC has taken facility-wide limits to remain below the threshold, classifying UMMC as a synthetic minor source.  The facility will maintain compliance by monitoring the runtime of equipment and fuel combusted.  The facility will also demonstrate compliance with various federal standards for boilers, engines, and gasoline dispensing.
The staff of the Permit Board has developed this draft permit based on information submitted to the Permit Board by the applicant, appropriate State and Federal agencies and other interested parties. The staff of the Permit Board is soliciting all relative information pertaining to the proposed activity, including public comment, to ensure the draft permit complies with all State and Federal regulations. Public review and comment on the draft permit and supporting documentation is an important element in the staff evaluation and its consideration of key aspects of the permit action. The draft permit conditions have been developed to ensure compliance with all State and Federal regulations but are subject to change based on information received as a result of public participation.
Persons wishing to comment upon or object to the proposed determinations are invited to submit comments in writing to Ryan Wigginton at https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/ozment-ryan/ or to the Permit Board address shown above, no later than the end of the thirty (30) day public notice. All comments received by this date will be considered in the formulation of final determinations regarding the application.  A public hearing will be held if the Permit Board finds a significant degree of public interest in the proposed permit. Persons wishing to request a public hearing may do so by submitting that request in writing to Ryan Wigginton at https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/ozment-ryan/ or to the Permit Board address shown above.  The Permit Board is limited in the scope of its analysis to environmental impact.  Any comments relative to zoning or economic and social impacts are within the jurisdiction of local zoning and planning authorities and should be addressed to them.
Additional details about the application, including a copy of the draft permit, are available by writing or calling the Public Records Request Officer at the above Permit Board address and telephone number or by completing the form at the following website:  https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/about-mdeq/public-records-request/public-records-request-form/.  Additionally, a copy of the draft permit and statement of basis may be found on the MDEQ’s website at: https://opc.deq.state.ms.us/publicnotice.aspx. This information is also available for review at the office of the MDEQ at the Permit Board address shown above during normal business hours. Please bring the foregoing to the attention of persons whom you know will be interested.