US Nitrogen Equipment Failure Reported

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

US Nitrogen has reported to state and federal environment officials that an April equipment failure caused the release of liquid and vaporized ammonia to the atmosphere.
In a letter sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, US Nitrogen plant manager Andrew Velo wrote that the failure and release of ammonia occurred on April 11 at 6:05 a.m.
He wrote that the release lasted about four minutes and some 45.2 pounds of ammonia vapor was released to the atmosphere from the body of a pressure safety valve.
In the letter Velo stated that since the amount released was less than 100 pounds "no CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act) reportable quantity was released as a result of this incident."
According to the letter from the Greene County chemical company, the incident occurred while the company was venting ammonia to a flare to relieve an abnormal ammonia loading system condition.
"As a result of the follow-up investigation, US Nitrogen has determined the internal bellows on the PSV failed due to a pressure impulse. This failure allowed ammonia on the vent side of the PSV (pressure relief valve) to be released through a vent hole in the body of the PSV,
He added that as a corrective action "US Nitrogen is evaluating the vent piping system to improve backpressure, flows and drainage.
Velo's letter was dated May 1.
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