WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina’s top environmental agency is accepting public comments about the regulation of a chemical pesticide used in log fumigation through the end of August.

The StarNews of Wilmington reports the use of methyl bromide came to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality last year when permit applications increased.

The agency is proposing a rule that applies to the log-fumigation facilities involving capture-and-control of the chemical and the establishment of an acceptable ambient level range. The state has received more than 1,000 remarks so far.

An international treaty called the Montreal Protocol has banned the use of methyl bromide to protest the ozone layer. The chemical is also a neurotoxin that can cause lung disease and neurological effects in humans.

The proposed rules are available here.

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Information from: The StarNews, http://starnewsonline.com

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