Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    In case you haven't heard, there is a big brouhaha going on in neighboring Carteret County. There is a proposal for Potash Corp. to build a sulfur processing plant at the State Port in Morehead City. The plant would process dry sulfur into molten sulfur for use at Potash Corp's Aurora facility.

    Apparently the plans have been in the works for over a year but have been kept secret under directions of the Department of Commerce. Now that the project has come to light there has been a large public outcry.

    About 400 people attended a meeting Tuesday (7-19-11) and organized to oppose the project. You can read their website by clicking here.

    Click here for a media report on Tuesday night's meeting by the Carteret News-Times

    The Observer/County Compass research staff is working diligently on researching this issue because it has direct implications for Beaufort and Pamlico counties. Some reports suggest that the future of the Aurora facility may depend on Potash having a viable supply of sulfur. Moreover, some of the permit applications appear to indicate that an alternative, if the plant is blocked at the state port, would be to build the sulfur plant on the Aurora site.

    The County Compass will have an article from an interview with one of the leaders of Clean County.org in this week's edition. You'll want to get a copy of that.

    Click here to review the CAMA permit application from Potash Corp.

    We'll keep you posted.