North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Environmental Management Commission
Public Notice
Special Order by Consent for R&D Plastics of Hickory, Ltd.
Hickory, Catawba County
R&D Plastics Ltd. manufactures extruded furniture, foam, and fiber optics. The facility is located at 345 26th Street Drive in Hickory, Catawba County, North Carolina. Permitted sources include tandem extruder and tandem foam line with isobutane blowing agent.
The facility currently operates under Title V Air Quality Permit No. 09321T06, which was issued on March 15, 2021, and has an expiration date of February 28, 2026. Section 3 - General Condition K of the facility’s Air Quality Permit states that, “This 15A NCAC 02Q .0500 permit is issued for a fixed term not to exceed five years and shall expire at the end of its term. Permit expiration terminates the facility's right to operate unless a complete 15A NCAC 02Q .0500 renewal application is submitted at least six months before the date of permit expiration.”
R&D Plastics Ltd. permit renewal application was received on October 14, 2025, which was 47 days after the required six months prior to permit expiration date. R&D Plastics Ltd. has agreed to a Special Order by Consent (SOC) with the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (EMC) to allow the R&D Plastics Ltd. facility to continue to operate while DAQ is processing its air permit renewal application. Per the terms of the SOC, the owner/operator of the facility must comply with all terms and conditions of Air Quality Permit No. 09321T06. The SOC includes an upfront penalty and enforcement action pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143-215.114A for failure to comply with any terms or conditions specified in Air Quality Permit No. 09321T06 or the SOC. The SOC will expire when DAQ takes final action on the facility’s renewal application.
This proposed SOC may be viewed on the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) website. A copy of the proposed SOC may also be viewed at the following locations and additional information concerning the proposed SOC may be obtained by contacting:
Melinda Wolanin, Regional Air Quality Supervisor
NC DEQ – Mooresville Regional Office
610 E. Center Avenue, Suite 301
Mooresville, North Carolina 28115
Phone 704-235-2230
or
Samir Parekh, Stationary Source Compliance Branch Supervisor
NC DEQ-DAQ Raleigh Central Office
217 West Jones Street
1641 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1641
Phone 919-707-8409
Interested persons are invited to review the proposed SOC and to submit written comments by email to daq.publiccomments@deq.nc.gov with “R&D Plastics of Hickory, Ltd. SOC” in the subject line or by mail to one of the above addresses. Any person requesting a public hearing regarding the proposed SOC should submit a written request with a statement supporting the need for such a hearing. The request for hearing should be sent to the DAQ at one of the two above addresses or at the above email address.
All public comments and requests for hearing must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026. The Director of the DAQ shall take final action on behalf of the EMC on Consent Orders within 60 days of the initial public notice.