Grain company sues to halt Nucor’s DRI facility

Apr 26, 2012 | 05:50 PM | Chris Prentice

Tags  Nucor, Zen-Noh Grain, St. James Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

NEW YORK — A Louisiana grain exporter has filed a complaint against a unit of Nucor Corp. requesting the steelmaker be ordered to halt construction on its direct-reduced iron (DRI) facility in St. James Parish, La.

Zen-Noh Grain Corp. filed documents in U.S. District Court in Louisiana requesting a federal judge enjoin Nucor from continuing to build its DRI unit on a site adjacent to Zen-Noh’s grain export elevator due to what it alleges was a faulty air-permitting process.

Nucor has called the suit "regrettable," maintaining that the permitting process has been comprehensive and that the correctly permitted project is already under way.

"The permitting process was exhaustive and comprehensive," Nucor president and chief operating officer John Ferriola told AMM in an e-mailed statement. "We have worked extensively with the requisite permitting agencies and have met each and every requirement to ensure that Nucor is in full compliance with the state and federal regulations. In addition, our DRI facility relies on innovative technology and the latest methods available to control emissions. The facility will be powered by natural gas, which will also help reduce emissions."....