Public Notice
Mississippi Environmental Quality Permit Board
P. O. Box 2261 | Jackson, MS 39225
515 East Amite St. | Jackson, MS 39201
Telephone No. (601) 961-5171

Public Notice Start Date: 3/18/2026	MDEQ Contact: Chappell Ford

Venture Oil and Gas Inc, Hiwannee Operations, located at Dove Land Road,  in Waynesboro, MS, (601) 428-7725 (Laurel), has applied to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for the following permitting action(s): Title V Operating Permit Renewal, Air Ref. No. 2840-00074. The applicant's operations fall within SIC Code 1321.  A Statement of Basis has been prepared that contains a discussion of the decision-making that went into the development of the permit and provides the permitting authority, the public, and other government bodies a record of the technical issues surrounding issuance of the permit. The Statement of Basis also addresses any changes to emissions and/or discharges resulting from any modification of the facility.  
The facility treats natural gas and oil that is pumped from local wells to remove salt water and other impurities. Saltwater is held in tanks onsite before it is hauled away to a saltwater injection well. Oil is collected in tanks before it is trucked to market. Gas is separated and pumped to a gas processing plant. Gas is flared during maintenance and shutdowns as necessary. 
The facility consists of five (5) flares, ten (10) oil tanks, two (2) water tanks, one (1) triethylene glycol dehydrator (TEG), a variety of equipment components, six (6) compressor engines, several small pressure vessels, and small natural gas fired external combustion sources where each one is less than one (1) MMBTUH. 
The facility’s potential-to-emit (PTE) exceeds the Title V major source threshold of 100 tons per year (tpy) for each of the following criteria air pollutants: Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The facility also has the potential to emit more than 250 tons per year of SO2, NOx, CO, and VOCs, but will continue to limit facility-wide emissions of SO2, NOx, CO, and VOCs to less than 250 tpy; therefore, the facility is considered a moderate stationary source. This permitting action will not change the current PSD status of the facility. The facility has applied for a 502(b)10 change to operate two (2) 0.75 MMBTU/hr gas-fired line heaters and one (1) small intermittent use flare. These qualify as Insignificant Activities. A 1200 HP engine was replaced with a 373 HP engine. Three (3) engines have been removed from operation and rendered unable to operate. A 400 hp compressor engine and a small tank were added to the site.

The staff of the Permit Board has developed this draft permit based on information submitted to the Permit Board by the applicant, appropriate State and Federal agencies and other interested parties. The staff of the Permit Board is soliciting all relative information pertaining to the proposed activity, including public comment, to ensure that the final staff recommendation on the draft permit complies with all State and Federal regulations. Public review and comment on the draft permit and supporting documentation is an important element in the staff evaluation and resulting recommendation to the Permit Board. The draft permit conditions have been developed to ensure compliance with all State and Federal regulations but are subject to change based on information received as a result of public participation.
Persons wishing to comment upon or object to the proposed determinations are invited to submit comments in writing to Chappell Ford at https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/Ford-Chappell/ or to the Permit Board address shown above, no later than the end of the thirty (30) day public notice. All comments received by this date will be considered in the formulation of final determinations regarding the application(s).  A public hearing will be held if the Permit Board finds a significant degree of public interest in the proposed permit(s). Persons wishing to request a public hearing may do so by submitting that request in writing to Chappell Ford at https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/Ford-Chappell/ or to the Permit Board address shown above.  The Permit Board is limited in the scope of its analysis to environmental impact.  Any comments relative to zoning or economic and social impacts are within the jurisdiction of local zoning and planning authorities and should be addressed to them.
After receipt of public comments and thorough consideration of all comments, the staff will formulate its recommendations for permit issuance and a proposed permit if that is the recommendation. The Title V Permit to Operate is a permit that is required by Title V of the Federal Clean Air Act and the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Law. The Title V permit is a Federally-enforceable permit as well as a State permit.  Therefore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will also be allowed an opportunity to review the application, proposed permit, and all comments received during the public comment period prior to Permit Board action on the application. 
The status regarding EPA’s 45-day review of this project and the deadline for citizen’s petitions can be found at the following website address:  https://www.epa.gov/caa-permitting/mississippi-proposed-title-v-permits 
Additional details about the application, including a copy of the draft permit, are available by writing or calling the Public Records Request Officer at the above Permit Board address and telephone number or by completing the form at the following website:  https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/about-mdeq/public-records-request/public-records-request-form/.   Additionally, a copy of the draft permit and statement of basis may be found on the MDEQ’s website at: https://opc.deq.state.ms.us/publicnotice.aspx .  This information is also available for review at the office of the MDEQ at the Permit Board address shown above during normal business hours. Please bring the foregoing to the attention of persons whom you know will be interested.