Louisiana DEQ Issues Air Quality Permit for Nucor Project

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued an air quality permit to Nucor Corp., for the direct reduced iron making facility that the steel company is looking to build in St. James Parish, La.

According to a Nucor release, the issuance of the air permit will allow the company to order equipment and start construction on the facility. The air quality permit allows for the construction and operation of two plants with a combined annual production of 5.5 million tons of direct reduced iron (DRI). Initially, Nucor will build one DRI plant with plans to expand to a second facility.

"We are very excited that we will be able to begin moving forward with the construction of this facility. Our nation's economy needs capital investment projects like this that stimulate job growth and contribute to a sustainable economic recovery," says Dan DiMicco, Nucor chairman and CEO. "We would like to thank Governor Bobby Jindal, Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret, local officials and members of the St. James Parish community for their support of this project."

The release notes that the DRI facility is the first phase of a multi-phase plan that may include a coke plant, blast furnace, pellet plant and steel mill.