Some Person County residents are expressing frustration and disappointment after state environmental officials issued an aeration permit to the Moriah Energy Center, a liquefied natural gas storage facility.

Andrea Childers, who lives a half-mile from the facility, said she believes Person County is becoming a sacrifice zone for the state of North Carolina.

“I’m devastated. This is our home. We’ve lived here for 32 years. My husband and I planned to live here, retire and spend the rest of our lives here,” Childers said. “What are we doing? Are we staying here? Risking our health?”

The Moriah Energy Center plans to receive natural gas during periods of excess capacity. The gas will be transformed into liquid and stored in large tanks.

The liquid will remain there until periods of high demand, especially on cold winter days. Then it will be converted back into gas and sent to customers.

Dominion Energy originally oversaw the project, but sold it to the Canadian company Enbridge Gas early October.

Earlier this year, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality received critical comments from the public regarding this air permit. Several Person County community members called on the division to deny the permit, citing concerns about air and water pollution. Others called for the permit to include stronger safeguards, such as an independent air quality monitoring system.

In response to these public comments, DAQ stated that “the final permit increases the frequency with which Moriah Energy Center will be required to report its emissions (data)… from annual to quarterly.”

“The final permit includes conditions that ensure ambient levels of all pollutants… comply with emission standards,” the DAQ said in a statement. press release.

The division added that the Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the air permit and agreed “that the permit is enforceable and meets federal air quality rules.”

Katie Moore, member of Neighbors opposed to Moriah energy centersaid state officials “have not made any changes to make the project safer.”

“Methane gas infrastructure, like the (Moriah Energy Center), is going to make climate change worse and we just don’t have time anymore,” Moore said. said in a statement.

Childers is pushing for more air monitors to be installed throughout Person County.

“We need to know what is in the air that Person County residents are breathing now and what they will be breathing in the future,” Childers said. “It’s the only way I think I can protect the people of this county.”

Construction on the project began earlier this year. The facility is expected to be online by 2027.