A Carbon County power plant has received state approval to start burning shredded tires alongside its regular fuel.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a permit on May 1 to Panther Creek Power Operating LLC, allowing the Nesquehoning facility to use tire derived fuel, essentially shredded waste tires, as part of its energy production.

“The approval allows the two existing circulating fluidized bed combustors to also combust tire derived fuel as a supplemental fuel up to 15% by weight on a monthly basis,” states the permit signed by Mark J. Wejkszner, environmental program manager for the DEP’s Air Quality Program.

Until now, the facility has been burning only culm (waste material from coal mining) and No. 2 fuel oil.

The permit limits Panther Creek to burning no more than 78,000 tons of shredded tires per year and prohibits storing more than 15,000 tons on site at any time. The approval remains valid until April 30, 2026.

In his letter to Richard J. Shaffer, Panther Creek’s asset manager, Wejkszner advised, “I suggest that you carefully read your permit and any special conditions accompanying it, to assure all of these conditions are satisfied.”

Safety appears to be a major concern in the permit’s conditions. Storage rules specify that TDF piles cannot be taller than 15 feet or cover more than 2,500 square feet. Fire lanes between tire piles must be at least 35 feet wide, with no point being more than 25 feet from a fire break. The corridors must stay “free from obstructions that could limit access in the event of an emergency.”

To protect the environment, the facility must have catch basins “which will prevent the discharge of fire-generated oils and liquids into the surface water and groundwater should a TDF fire occur.”

The permit also restricts where tires can be stored. TDF storage areas cannot be in a 100-year floodplain; within 100 feet of a wetland; within 300 feet of homes not owned by Panther Creek; within 100 feet of a sinkhole; within 100 feet of a stream; within 50 feet of a property line; or within 300 feet of a water source.

The facility must keep detailed monthly records of how much TDF it burns and calculate its total emissions regularly. The records must be kept for at least five years.

If Panther Creek discovers any problems that might lead to excess air pollution, the company must notify the DEP within one hour and follow up with a written report within five days.

The DEP has informed Nesquehoning Borough and Carbon County officials about the permit. Anyone who objects to the decision has 30 days to appeal to the Environmental Hearing Board.

Save Carbon County President Linda Christman said that waste coal is a dirty fuel, and that the plant produces electricity that is solely used to power specialized computers that “mine” bitcoins.

Christman said that according to the company’s previous statements, the tires will come from Delaware and New York as well as other parts of Pennsylvania.

She said state currently provides tax credits to the plant for burning waste coal.

Christman said the Nesquehoning plant and a second “sister” plant received more than $20 million in tax credits in the 2023 fiscal year.

“It takes three times the amount of waste coal to produce the same energy as normal coal,” Christman said. “This means far more air and water pollution

“The residents of Carbon County would be much better served if the plant burned readily available anthracite coal. Now we will be adding tire burning which will result in even more deadly pollution.”

Christman said that for every 100 tons of waste coal burned, 85 tons remain as toxic waste coal ash.

She added that ash is placed in an unlined coal mine which drains directly into the Lehigh River.

Christman said that the tire burning will add even more mercury, arsenic and the poison 6PPD, which is used as a coating for tires.

She said that in 2023, when the plant was allowed to burn tires as a test, the plant released 366.4 pounds of deadly mercury into local waterways.

Christman said Save Carbon County urges residents of Carbon County who smell burning tires to report it to the DEP environmental complaint line at 866-255-5158 and to call Save Carbon County at 570-676-2644 so that their complaints can be monitored.