As the leading voice for conservation in the state, one of the Idaho Conservation League’s goals is to protect the air we breathe. To that end, we were initially concerned that a South Idaho bag and packaging manufacturer, Hilex-Poly in Jerome, was out of compliance on its emissions reporting. After conversations and the opportunity to review additional data, we learned that air quality is also a primary concern for Novolex, the parent company-and the facility is in full compliance. This is a win for Idaho’s clean air.
Since 1973, the Idaho Conservation League has worked to protect Idaho’s clean air on behalf of all Idahoans. In this role, ICL regularly reviews the self-reported emissions of large manufacturing facilities to make sure that the air quality is within safe limits for local communities. As a follow up to our initial review process, ICL may submit “notice of intent to sue” letters informing facilities of their duty to comply with federal law. Despite the name, these letters rarely result in legal action; instead, they provide an opportunity for everyone to come together, discuss the issue and ultimately work toward achieving a shared goal.
And that’s what happened last week. ICL sent notice letters to Novolex over our initial concerns that certain facilities were not complying with laws requiring the reporting of their air emissions. Novolex met with ICL several times last week to discuss the company’s actual emissions and innovative in-house operating techniques to properly manage and reduce emissions from its facilities.
Since our primary concern is the quality of Idaho’s air, ICL was pleased to learn that Novolex is proactively working to minimize emissions from its facilities, resulting in cleaner air and healthier communities. In a time of rising concerns about air quality, it was a relief to learn about these progressive emission-reduction efforts.