The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is providing an additional week to submit public comments on the draft air quality permit for Carolina Lithium, a proposed lithium mine and processing facility in Gaston County.
Public comments must now be submitted by Oct. 23, 2026.
DEQ held a public hearing to receive comments on Oct. 13. The audio recording for that hearing is available online.
Carolina Lithium, owned and operated by Piedmont Lithium Carolinas Inc., applied for a major-source Title V air quality permit, a federal air quality permit required for facilities whose operations have the potential to emit air pollutants above certain thresholds. The proposed permit would allow emissions associated with mining, crushing and handling of spodumene ore, a key source of lithium for batteries, as well as processing and concentrating the ore into lithium hydroxide at on-site plants.
The facility’s potential emissions of particle pollution, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide are each above the threshold that triggers a Prevention of Significant Deterioration review to ensure that the emissions will not cause a violation of federal ambient air quality standards.
DEQ’s review found that the emissions, controlled by the best available control technology required in the draft permit, are expected to maintain the state’s compliance with federal air quality standards, including the more stringent fine particle pollution standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2024. These federal standards are protective of public health, including the health of sensitive groups like children and older adults, as well as public welfare, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.
The facility’s emissions of hazardous air pollutants would be capped to minor source levels, meaning the facility must keep hazardous air pollutant emissions below 10 tons per year for any single pollutant and below 25 tons per year for all pollutants combined. Remaining below these limits triggers a different set of federal standards designed for lower-emitting facilities.
The facility would be subject to multiple federal performance standards. Air dispersion modeling determined that emissions of toxic air pollutants are not expected to violate health-based air quality levels.
Carolina Lithium received a mining permit from DEQ’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources in 2024 to operate the 1,548-acre mine. The draft air quality permit would require the facility to comply with any applicable local zoning regulations before it could begin construction and operation.
Copies of the public notice, draft permit, draft permit review, permit application and a one-page fact sheet are available online.
The public is encouraged to review these materials and provide comments. Comments can be submitted by email to DAQ.publiccomments@deq.nc.gov with the subject line “CarolinaLithium.22A” or by leaving a voicemail at 919-707-8714.
Comments can also be mailed to:
NCDEQ Division of Air Quality
1628 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1628
The public comment period ends on Oct. 23, 2026. DAQ will consider all public comments before making a final decision on the proposed permit.
Additional information about air quality permitting is available online in our FAQ.