Friday, November 25, 2016

US Nitrogen/Yara Get 2 More Permit Extensions


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee environmental officials have granted two more permit extensions for the US Nitrogen/Yara North America project on a 500 acre site in Midway, Tenn.
In notices dated Nov. 18 and posted on the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation web site, the permits for a calcium nitrate production facility and a related calcium feedstock operation were extended from Dec. 31, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2018.
The permits were issued to Yara but the Yara facility is an adjunct to US Nitrogen's ammonium nitrate plant located on the same site.
Similar permit extensions were recently granted to US Nitrogen. The US Nitrogen extensions however, were for 12 months, not 24.
The extensions, according to US Nitrogen's applications, were made necessary by delays in the scheduled startup of the $200 million chemical production complex.
As with the US Nitrogen, the Yara permits set production limits to enable the company to avoid stricter environmental limits for major pollution sources.
"Failure to abide by these limits will not only subject the permittee to enforcement action by the state of Tennessee but may also result in the imposition of federal enforcement action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," the permit for the calcium nitrate plant states.
The permit caps the annual amount of greenhouse gases at 16,044 tons over any 12 month period.
It also mandates the use of a scrubber to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, which must be kept under 100 tons over any 12 month period
In related action TDEC has informed two Mosheim residents that they investigated complaints of ozone emissions on Sept. 19 and concluded that US Nitrogen was not the source of the odor. TDEC officials blamed the odors on a nearby wastewater treatment facility.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

US Nitrogen/Yara Get 2 More Permit Extensions


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee environmental officials have granted two more permit extensions for the US Nitrogen/Yara North America project on a 500 acre site in Midway, Tenn.
In notices dated Nov. 18 and posted on the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation web site, the permits for a calcium nitrate production facility and a related calcium feedstock operation were extended from Dec. 31, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2018.
The permits were issued to Yara but the Yara facility is an adjunct to US Nitrogen's ammonium nitrate plant located on the same site.
Similar permit extensions were recently granted to US Nitrogen. The US Nitrogen extensions however, were for 12 months, not 24.
The extensions, according to US Nitrogen's applications, were made necessary by delays in the scheduled startup of the $200 million chemical production complex.
As with the US Nitrogen, the Yara permits set production limits to enable the company to avoid stricter environmental limits for major pollution sources.
"Failure to abide by these limits will not only subject the permittee to enforcement action by the state of Tennessee but may also result in the imposition of federal enforcement action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," the permit for the calcium nitrate plant states.
The permit caps the annual amount of greenhouse gases at 16,044 tons over any 12 month period.
It also mandates the use of a scrubber to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, which must be kept under 100 tons over any 12 month period
In related action TDEC has informed two Mosheim residents that they investigated complaints of ozone emissions on Sept. 19 and concluded that US Nitrogen was not the source of the odor. TDEC officials blamed the odors on a nearby wastewater treatment facility.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Sunday, November 20, 2016

TDEC Approves USN Permit Extensions


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee environmental officials have approved a series of construction permit extensions for the $200 million US Nitrogen manufacturing plant as the company continues efforts to get the facility in operation.
Records of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation show seven construction permits for various segments of the ammonium nitrate manufacturing have been extended to Dec. 31, 2017, a one year extension.
US Nitrogen had submitted the extension requests in October. The extensions are dated Nov. 8.
Separately the Midway, Tenn. company reported that it pumped a little over 5 million gallons from the Nolichucky River in the month of October. It discharged about 1.36 million gallons back into the river.
The withdrawals came on five days in the middle of the month and a single withdrawal on Oct. 27. Discharges came on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.
The construction permit extensions include the nitric acid plant, the ammonia plant, the steam boiler, a gasoline dispensing facility and cooling towers.
The ammonia plant extension includes changes sought by US Nitrogen to set limits on the number of burners that can be operated before a selective catalytic converter is in full operation.
All the extensions include a requirement that US Nitrogen apply for a major operating permit no later than June 19 of next year.
US Nitrogen requested the extensions following an August incident in which a planned startup had to be aborted after a huge orange cloud appeared over the facility, producing excess emissions of nitrogen gases.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

TDEC Okays US NItrogen Deadline Extensions


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee environmental officials have approved a series of extensions in deadlines for US Nitrogen to complete a corrective action plan triggered by a June compliance inspection of the firm's $200 million Midway facility.
In a letter dated Monday, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation set a new deadline of Dec. 31 for US Nitrogen to complete tasks including installation of new steam condenser and stabilization of exposed soil.
Bryan B. Carter, a TDEC official, stated in the two-page letter that while the agency agreed to the extension, "the division respectfully requests the tasks be finished before the extended deadline whenever possible."
The extensions were requested in early October.
"The extension is granted in recognition of ongoing delays in initiation of full facility operations and specific delays in equipment receipt and installation," the TDEC letter states.
In addition to the new condenser and soil remediation, TDEC extended the deadline for completion of measures to prevent stormwater pollution on the site.
The attempted startup of the ammonium nitrate manufacturing facility in August resulted in a large orange cloud hanging over the US Nitrogen site.
Company officials later acknowledged that the discharge resulted in a violation of air pollution control standards.
Plant Manager Andrew Velo subsequently reported to TDEC that the emissions included nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, "both are extremely hazardous substances."
US Nitrogen has indicated in recent comments to the media that they expect to be in full operation before the end of 2016.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Third Appeal Filed on US Nitrogen Permit


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A third eastern Tennessee resident has filed an appeal of the renewal of a controversial permit allowing US Nitrogen to discharge millions of gallons of water per week into the Nolichucky River.
The appeal, filed with the state Department of Environment and Conservation and the state Board for Water Quality, Oil and Gas, charges that the five year permit allows US Nitrogen to "exploit" the river by taking millions of gallons of free water per day from the river and "pouring chemically altered water back into the Nolichucky River."
The appeal filed by area resident Ann P. Harris, is the third to be filed since TDEC announced it was renewing the US Nitrogen permit for five more years. Other appeals have been filed by Park Overall and Stan Olmstead.
Harris wrote that the scope of the river use by US Nitrogen required an environmental impact statement (EIS), despite TDEC's conclusion that such a review was not required.
Charging that the project "does require an EIS. Nothing less can suffice," Harris wrote. "The Nolichucky is listed as an impaired river. This action, by the extension of this permit...is clearly an illegal action against the Clean Water Act," the appeal states.
Asserting that the use of the river water will surely impact local citizens, Harris wrote that the state agency also had failed to provide adequate notice to residents of neighboring counties who also will be impacted.
"The governor is giving away a natural resource of this state," Harris continued, referring to Gov. Bill Haslam. "The natural resources of the state of Tennessee belong to the people of the state. The governor does not have the authority to give them away," she concluded.
TDEC officials have defended the Oct. 3 decision to renew the permit til Oct. 31, 2020, concluding that US Nitrogen's operations will have a minimal impact on the Nolichucky.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com






Tuesday, November 1, 2016

US Nitrogen, Yara Seek Permit Extensions


By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Officials of US Nitrogen and Yara North America have filed a series of construction permit extension requests with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The requests include seven existing permits for US Nitrogen, which is still in the startup phase of its $200 million Midway manufacturing facility.
According to a letter from Andrew Velo, the company plant manager, the US Nitrogen permit are due to expire on Dec. 31 of this year. The extensions would extend them through 2017.
Velo informed the state in his letter that construction of a carbon dioxide liquefaction plant is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2017.
Yara North America, meanwhile, has requested extensions on its current construction permits scheduled to expire on Dec. 3 of this year.
In addition to the one year extension requests, Yara notified TDEC that the person in charge of its Tennessee operations, Jorgen Arentz Rostrup is leaving the company and he will be replaced by Steven Rodgers.
Yara also advised the state that construction of its calcium nitrate manufacturing facility is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2017.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com