Fermi America’s air quality permits under review: Takeaways from the Carson County public meeting

Area residents gathered Thursday evening for a packed public meeting with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and representatives from Fermi America. The session was an opportunity for residents to ask direct questions, express concerns, and hear explanations about Fermi’s air permit applications for its proposed natural-gas-powered data facility.

The meeting was held because Fermi has applied for three major permits: a State Air Quality Permit, a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Air Quality Permit, and a Greenhouse Gas PSD Air Quality Permit. According to the TCEQ, its executive director has now completed a technical review of Fermi’s applications, evaluating “all air contaminants.” The agency announced its determination that the facility’s emissions “will not violate any state or federal air quality regulations and will not have any significant adverse impact on soils, vegetation, or visibility.”

This preliminary conclusion allowed the TCEQ executive director to prepare a draft permit outlining the conditions under which Fermi would have to operate if the project is ultimately approved. As the TCEQ explained, “The permits would authorize the construction of an electrical power generation facility,” and the purpose of the public meeting was to allow the community to “ask questions to the TCEQ and [Fermi] and provide formal comments.”

Understanding the Technical Side: What the Permits Actually Regulate

Joel Stanford, with the TCEQ’s Air Permits Division, set the stage by explaining what is actually being regulated. The permits “apply to everything at the site that’s an air emissions source associated with natural gas power generation.” Fermi plans to install 93 natural gas-fired turbines, which burn natural gas and emit pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.

These emissions are analyzed using TCEQ’s air dispersion model, which Stanford described as a 31-mile, 50-kilometer grid designed to show how pollution could spread beyond the property line. The modeling is based on federal standards that Stanford emphasized are built with public health in mind.

“Ideally and ostensibly, all those individual criteria are there for each pollutant are protective of anybody with any health condition,” he said. “Essentially, if someone had asthma or COPD … and they live next door to this facility, they’ve got to be protected.”

Cara Hill, the TCEQ permit reviewer responsible for Fermi’s technical review, described her role this way: “My role is to ensure that the applicant has represented that the operations will be protective of human health and welfare and the environment in accordance with state and federal law.”

Hill said pollutant estimates come from EPA-developed factors combined with data from turbine manufacturers. That data is then used to set enforceable emission limits. Fermi will also be required to install continuous emissions monitors—devices mounted in the turbine stacks to report emissions in real time.

Elizabeth Stanko, from TRC Companies and a consultant for Fermi, said, “There will be continuous emissions monitors in the stacks that will measure the concentrations coming out to make sure that those limits are not exceeded.” She explained that Fermi worked with manufacturers to model how turbines operate in different temperatures, humidities, and loads, ensuring the worst-case scenarios were included.

Enforcement: What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?

Several residents wanted reassurance that if Fermi violates requirements, consequences will follow. Sheldon Wayne from TCEQ’s office of public interest counsel explained that non-compliance “would trigger an investigation” and could lead to penalties or even permit revocation. Stanford added that TCEQ’s enforcement division conducts annual investigations and that the continuous emissions monitors help identify when a turbine is operating “out of spec.”

Stanford also addressed a common question: Why not place monitors at the property line so residents can track real-world air quality? TCEQ rarely uses them because they “can only detect specific air pollutants and don’t indicate the direction the pollutant is coming from.” Instead, the agency relies on dispersion modeling paired with continuous emissions data.

Questions About National Security and Fermi’s Location Choice

One of the most unusual moments of the meeting came when a resident asked why Fermi chose a site next to Pantex. Fermi America CEO Toby Neugebauer responded that the choice was strategic.

“We’re in a nuclear arms race,” he said, adding that the company views its project as part of a national effort to support U.S. infrastructure in response to China’s expanding nuclear fleet.

When someone asked whether geopolitical issues influence TCEQ’s permitting timeline, Stanford was clear: “No, we are numbers people, and review the application that is submitted outside of context.”

The Newspaper Notice Dispute: Did the Public Get Proper Notice?

One of the more heated exchanges involved concerns over how notices for the meeting were published. Shaun Wink, publisher of the Panhandle Herald, said: “I was not notified of this meeting until three o’clock this afternoon,” and argued that Carson County residents “deserve to know more.”

Stanko explained that Fermi chose the Amarillo paper based on its broader distribution. Wayne clarified that notices must be published “in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the facility is located,” or, if not possible, in an adjacent county. Stanford added that if the filing is indeed incorrect, it “could result in republication and an extension of the content.”

Community Voices: Both Support and Opposition

The public comment session lasted more than an hour and revealed a divide within the community.

Some residents expressed strong support. One Panhandle resident said, “I’ve seen a lot of businesses come in, and I’ve seen a lot of businesses go out… I fully endorse Fermi America. I hope that they produce a long, lasting impact on not only our communities, but our employment and our growth.”

Others raised serious concerns about health and environmental risks. An Amarillo resident stated, “I formally object [to] the air permits… because the gas turbines, backup generators and industrial scale cooling and energy systems… will release a broad mixture of harmful air pollutants with well documented health risks.”

All public comments submitted before Thursday night at 11:59 p.m. will receive written responses from the TCEQ executive director. And depending on the objections filed, a contested case hearing may follow. As TCEQ attorney Katelyn Ding explained, such a hearing resembles a trial before an Administrative Law Judge, who will issue findings for the commissioners to consider before a final decision.

What Comes Next

The draft permit is not yet approved. TCEQ must review all public comments, determine whether a contested hearing is necessary, and then decide whether to issue, amend, or deny the permit. Thursday’s meeting made clear that the community is engaged, divided, and deeply invested in the outcome.

Whether residents support or oppose Fermi’s project, the meeting demonstrated that Carson County wants transparency, accountability, and a clear understanding of how major industrial facilities will impact their daily lives.