TDEC Easing US Nitrogen Regulations

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Citing improvements by US Nitrogen, state officials say they no longer need to have inspectors present during startup operations of a Greene County plant producing nitric acid.
In a two-page letter to Andrew Velo, US Nitrogen's plant manager, an official of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation also stated that her agency intends to permanently ease the standards for opacity during startups as they apply to UD Nitrogen.
"As detailed below your company has improved the start up process to the point that we no longer feel it is necessary to witness each and every start up at the nitric acid plant," Michelle Owenby of TDEC wrote in the letter to Velo.
The nitric acid plant is but one of several operations at the Midway plant where ammonium nitrate is produced for use in making explosives at a separate location.
Stating that the number of failed start up attempts has decreased, the TDEC technical secretary, added that the visible emissions have decreased.
Nonetheless, despite still failing to meet the existing standard, Owenby said TDEC "plans no further action."
In addition she wrote that the agency had concluded that the existing standards are not suitable and the emissions and opacity recorded at US Nitrogen has "no known health effects."
In the meantime, the TDEC official continued, the state agency will begin work on developing a "source specific state implementation plan revision to allow additional opacity for limited times with the provision that US Nitrogen continues to monitor nitrogen oxides and ammonia emissions.
She wrote that continued operation will be permitted provided US Nitrogen continues to monitor the emissions of those two pollutants and ensures that standards are not exceeded.
She said that once the new standards are determined the state will include them in US Nitrogen's existing permit. She said the new standards would be announced publicly and public comment will be solicited. The amendments will also be subject to review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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