Foxconn provides details on first environmental permit request submitted to Wisconsin officials

Foxconn Technology Group’s request for an air emissions permit from the Department of Natural Resources details plans for three manufacturing plants in Racine County and provides the first public glimpse at the scope of regulatory requirements the company will face in Wisconsin.

As it has done with other major projects with high public interest, the DNR last week set up a web page devoted to Foxconn that provides information on upcoming environmental reviews for the massive industrial campus planned in the Village of Mount Pleasant.

So far, the filing provides details on the types of pollutants that will be produced and the equipment the Taiwan-based company plans to use to control emissions.

As additional documents become available, the DNR will post information on how the company intends to control wastewater and limit the runoff of storm water.

In addition, the City of Racine and Mount Pleasant are expected to soon ask the DNR for approval to divert water from Lake Michigan. That information will also be posted, the DNR says.

Foxconn is building a $10 billion manufacturing center that could employ up 13,000 workers. The company chose Wisconsin after getting a $3 billion state incentive package.

State legislation that provided the incentives also exempted the company from a variety of environmental requirements, such as disturbing wetlands and building in stream beds, that other companies have to follow.

But the company must get approval for air, wastewater and storm water permits — and approval to tap water from Lake Michigan.

The first, 128-page application from an affiliate, AFE Inc., for an air permit indicates Foxconn will start with the construction and assembly of flat-panel displays, including televisions. Later, it will proceed with a fabrication plant and a glass manufacturing plant.

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Company officials have said it plans to have the flat-panel plant up and operating by January 2019.

DNR spokesman Jim Dick said the agency hopes to complete work on the first air permit in April. Before then, citizens can file comments and ask for a public hearing.

Together, the three plants will produce enough air pollution to qualify Foxconn, in regulatory parlance, as a major source emitter. As a major source, the company must install air pollution control equipment that costs more and removes more air pollutants than other control equipment on the market.

Foxconn says it will produce gases such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, which are sources of ozone pollution. Ozone is primarily a summer problem.

Ozone exposure can lead to reduced lung function and aggravate asthma and other lung diseases. High temperatures magnify ozone problems.

Racine County and southeastern Wisconsin are currently in compliance with federal ozone standards, but new stricter standards are expected to soon take effect. EPA officials in December said they plan to designate the region as not meeting the tougher standard, which could mean more restrictions on businesses. A final decision by the EPA has not been made.

The plant will also produce particulate pollution — tiny particles that are smaller than a human hair that can cause respiratory problems.

Foxconn will also produce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and must limit emissions of CO2, according to the DNR.

The company has faced criticism for its environmental record, especially in China.

In a statement, the company said, "minimizing any negative impact of our operations on the environment is a fundamental responsibility for Foxconn," adding that it intends to use environmentally friendly design features in Mount Pleasant and will reduce carbon emissions.

The documents show communications between the DNR and representatives of Foxconn dating back to Nov. 13, including a directive from the DNR for the company to provide more details on its air permit.

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Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou signed the contract providing the state subsidies on Nov. 10.