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: June 26, 2024	MDEQ Contact: Jeffrey Bland

Sanderson Farms LLC, Collins Processing, located at 1111 North Fir Avenue, in Collins, MS, (601) 649-4030, has applied to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for the following permitting action(s):  Reissuance of Synthetic Minor Operating Permit Air. Ref. No. 0640-00003. The applicant's operations fall within SIC Code 2015.  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.  
Sanderson Farms Inc, Collins Processing Facility is a poultry slaughtering and processing facility. Sanderson Farms Inc, Collins Processing is located off of Highway 49. Live chickens are delivered to the facility. The chickens are killed then submerged in scalding water to facilitate feather removal. The scalding water is heated by two industrial boilers (Emission Points AA-002 and AA-003) and possibly a third industrial boiler which would only be employed in emergency situations (Emission Point AA-004). Emission Point AA-004 is a temporary boiler and is not on site so the boiler will have to be rented. The de-feathered chickens are eviscerated and deboned/cut-up to be prepared for packaging and shipping. Wastewater produced by the facility is sent to the facility’s onsite, private wastewater treatment plant prior to discharge into Okatoma Creek. Lime/ magnesium oxide is used to control the pH of the activated sludge system and is provided via a liquid dosing system. During the anaerobic wastewater treatment phase, biological gas is generated, collected, and combusted by either Emission Point AA-002 or a biological gas flare (Emission Point AA-001). Emission Point AA-002 combusts a mixture of biological gas (90%) and natural gas (10%), or if the situation requires, fuel oil (diesel fuel). Emission Point AA-003 is also a duel-fuel fired boiler capable of combusting natural gas or diesel fuel. However, the emergency/temporary boiler, Emission Point AA-004, could be capable of combusting natural gas or diesel fuel. The facility has the potential to exceed the Title V threshold for Sulfur Dioxide.
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 that the final staff recommendation on 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 resulting recommendation to the Permit Board. 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 Jeffrey Bland at https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/Bland-Jeffrey/  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(s).  A public hearing will be held if the Permit Board finds a significant degree of public interest in the proposed permit(s). Persons wishing to request a public hearing may do so by submitting that request in writing to Jeffrey Bland at https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/Bland-Jeffrey/  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.