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WILMINGTON – Gov. Bev Perdue is requesting that the Attorney General's Office and the SBI take a look into a proposed cement plant in New Hanover County. From day one, Titan Cement has met opposition from those with environmental concerns.

Perdue's request started with a letter to from political watchdog Joe Sinsheimer. He asked the governor to look into the permitting process for the proposed cement plant.

In the letter, he says, “The attorney general's investigation should focus on actions taken by the Easley administration to exempt Titan from the State Environmental Policy Act, as well as the state Senate's abrupt decision to kill legislation on this matter this year without a vote.”

He also asked for a 90-day freeze on the environmental permitting process.

But a spokesperson with the governor's office says the governor did not put the permitting on hold and referred it to lawyers to see what would happen.

About two weeks ago, the North Carolina Department of Administration ruled state environmental regulators correctly interpreted the law when deciding Titan could receive its air permits early, before an in-depth environmental review is completed. That was big news for Titan America because an in-depth review by the Army Corp of Engineers could take years to complete.

Titan's supporters say the new plant will bring much needed jobs and money to the county. But opponents worry the plant will pollute the environment.