US Nitrogen Cited for Multiple Violations

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Following a July on-site inspection, Tennessee environmental officials have cited US Nitrogen LLC, a Greene County chemical firm, for multiple violations of its permits.
The notice of violation was issued by Amanda Davis, the director the Division of Air Pollution in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
In a three-page letter to Andrew Velo, US Nitrogen's plant manager, Davis detailed the violations
detected during a two day compliance inspection visit to the Midway plant in early July.
The notice is the second to be issued to US Nitrogen by TDEC in the past two months.
TDEC charged in late June that US Nitrogen erected an ammonia storage and loading operation capable of emitting 23.3 million tons of ammonia per year without first obtaining a required permit.
In the new notice, Davis said the violations related to a carbon dioxide liquefaction facility.
Although the facility is being utilized by Praxair, the permit was issued to US Nitrogen.
"At the time of the inspection, the permit was issued to US Nitrogen LLC and you were, therefore, responsible for complying with its terms and conditions," Davis wrote in the letter.
Davis reported that the records showed the company failed to comply with a permit provision limiting the production of carbon dioxide to 90,789 tons per year. In addition the records showed the company exceeded the permit limit for the production of greenhouse gases, the letter stated.
A third violation, Davis wrote that the company failed to file monthly data reports within the 30 day time limit.
She stated that a report that was due on March 22 wasn't filed until 20 days later.
The violation notice states that the company can submit information challenging the notice within 20 days of the notice.
US Nitrogen did make such a submission for the violation notice issued in late June, but TDEC ruled that the violation notice will stand. The agency has not yet indicated whether a fine or other penalty will be imposed for that violation.
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