BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Red River Environmental Products has asked Louisiana regulators to approve its permit to build what would be the world's largest activated carbon production plant. The company says it plans to request permits for similar plants in North Dakota.

The company has filed an air permit application with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The proposed plant will be built in Red River Parish, next to an existing lignite coal mine.

The proposed plant would have an annual production capacity of 350 million pounds of activated carbon.

The company says the permit time lines and overall business environment will dictate whether this facility in Louisiana or one of the facilities in North Dakota will be chosen as the first to be built.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 08-03-07 0800CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list