Published: June 2, 2021 |

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The Indiana Office of Environmental Adjudication has ruled in favor of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s extension of an air permit for Delaware-based Riverview Energy Corp.

The extension was challenged by Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life Inc. and Valley Watch Inc., which have been seeking to block the initial approval of the permit, as well as its extension. The groups claim IDEM did not have the authority to issue the extension and the reasoning for Riverview seeking the extension was not sufficient.

Riverview requested the permit extension last year it says primarily due to the the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the continued litigation surrounding the project was also listed as a factor. IDEM awarded the extension of the permit, which now runs through 2022 and was challenged by the groups.

Chief Environmental Law Judge Mary Davidsen ruled the petitioners, SICQL and Valley Watch, “have failed to provide sufficient evidence to create a general issue of material fact in this manner.”

“This case had no merit, and the court saw that,” Greg Merle, president of Riverview Energy, said in a news release.

“We had confidence in our argument for extension, and put that before IDEM through the proper process and IDEM, as it has done consistently, applied Indiana law and federal standing guidance. The court’s decision is another win for the people of Spencer County and the region, and we’re continuing forward to bring this project and the jobs and opportunity that come with it to this community,” Merle added.

The coal-to-diesel facility project in the Spencer County town of Dale was first announced in 2018. Riverview Energy says the plant will be the first direct coal-hydrogenation refinery in the U.S., capable of producing 4.8 million barrels of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, as well as 2.5 million barrels of naptha.

In September 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied a petition to block the air permit issued by IDEM in 2019. Three months later, the OEA also denied a petition to block the issuance of the permit. The OEA’s decision was challenged the following month in an appeal filed in Marion County Superior Court, which has not yet been resolved.

Source: Inside Indiana Business

About Riverview Energy
Riverview Energy Corporation is part of a six-generation, privately held energy-industry enterprise that has been in existence since 1843. Few companies can boast this longevity and the insights, experiences and forethought that type of longevity requires. Today, Riverview Energy is using that more-than-150-years of experience to bring the energy industry into a new era. They invest in and develop innovative ways to manufacture cleaner fuels that are far better for the environment, using cleaner resource-conversion processes and emerging technologies. Its collective operations span across Switzerland, France, Spain, India, Hong Kong, and the United States. Currently, the company is working to establish the Riverview Project in Spencer County, Indiana.

To stop by Riverview Energy’s website, CLICK HERE

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