US Nitrogen Seeks Flare Permit Change

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

On the heels of a violation notice from Tennessee environmental officials, US Nitrogen is seeking  approval for yet another change in one of its permits for the Greene County ammonium nitrate manufacturing facility.
In a three-page letter to the Department of Environment and Conservation US Nitrogen is asking for a change in the permit issued for three flares used to vent gas emissions. In the letter, US Nitrogen Plant Manager Andrew Velo states that the changes would actually result in a decrease in emissions.
'This amendment affects all three flares covered by the open flares permit," Velo wrote in the Dec. 4 letter.
The amendment request was filed just days after TDEC issued a notice of violation to the company following a nearly one month inspection of the Midway operation.
Velo states that two of the flares are located at the two existing ammonia plants, while a third is "outside the battery limits."
The amendments would change the maximum heat capacities and result in an "overall reduction of emissions," according to the letter.
The amendment would also change the gas streams vented to each flare.
The request, the letter continues, is based on the assumption that 98 percent of the ammonia will be converted to elemental nitrogen and water. One percent will remain unconverted and one percent will convert to NO/NO2, according to the Velo letter.
The 16-page notice of violation was issued late last week and it requires the company to file a schedule for completion of needed changes by Jan. 10. The letter faults the company for not informing the state of a change in production and for not reporting "an operational mishap" that caused contamination of the steam system.
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