Thallium Source in Nolichucky Uncertain

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Somewhere between mile markers 57 and and 20.8 on the Nolichucky River a substantial amount of a toxic chemical has been deposited in the waterway, but the source of the chemical remains a mystery..
The presence of thallium first became known in a report filed recently by US Nitrogen which operates a substantial chemical manufacturing facility in Greene County.
In that report filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the company reported that water it has discharged into the Nolichucky contained 10.3 parts per billion into the river. The company discharge and intake points are located at mile marker 20.8 of the river in southern Greene County.
The company uses millions of gallons of river water per year in the manufacture of ammonium nitrate.
Some 37 miles upstream at mile marker 57.2, annual tests conducted by the Greeneville Water Commission show no thallium. The tests were conducted on an annual basis on the water that the commission distributes to its customers.
"We are way upstream from US Nitrogen," Laura White of the commission wrote in response to questions.
The maximum level of thallium in drinking water is 2 parts per billion.
In addition, reliable reports show that when water in the Nolichucky arrives at mile marker 20.8 million prior to treatment in US Nitrogen facilities it has a 3 parts per billion level of thallium, less than half the level of 10.3 parts per billion when the company discharges some but not all of the Nolichucky water back into the river.
US Nitrogen officials say that there is no thallium in the water they finally use for manufacturing of ammonium nitrate.
"The US Nitrogen facility does not use thallium or substances containing thallium as a component of any manufacturing processes," Kim Ryans, a US Nitrogen environmental specialist, wrote in an email response to questions.
"The water sampled and discharged to the Nolichucky River does not come into direct contact with US Nitrogen’s processes," she added.
TDEC officials say they have not yet identified a possible source of the thallium. US Nitrogen officials say the same.
"We cannot speak to background concentrations upstream of the intake point," Ryans said in an email.
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Praxair Requests Waiver. Permit Takeover

By Walter F. Roche Jr

The company that has joined US Nitrogen at its Midway manufacturing facilities is asking Tennessee environmental officials to waive requirements for reporting greenhouse gases, citing similar requests from other Tennessee firms including US Nitrogen.
In a filing this week with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Scott Poole of Praxair, asked that greenhouse gas reporting requirement be removed from a permit the company is expecting to be granted in the near future,
According to Praxair's filing the company expects to receive its own permit on March 31. Previously it had been operating under a permit issued to US Nitrogen.
Companies seeking the waiver from greenhouse gas requirements in Tennessee have cited revised policy statements from the U.S. Environemntal Protection Agency.
Praxair, which produces compressed and liquefied carbon dioxide for the beverage industry, is seeking a permit for a liquefaction facility on the same Greene County property where US Nitrogen produces ammonium nitrate.
Citing the expected permit approval, Poole wrote, "we also would like to request that out greenhouse gas reporting requirements be removed from our upcoming permit."
In a related development US Nitrogen has submitted to TDEC a certification that it will follow the accidental release plan originally filed with the EPA in 2016.
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Water Commission Tests Negative For Thallium

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Annual tests on the drinking water distributed by the Greeneville Water Commission have shown no traces of thallium, which can in some forms lead to illness and even death, according to a testing expert for the agency.
James Jeffers, a lab analyst for the water commission, said in an email response to questions that the annual tests going back to 2005 show no detectable levels of thallium.
He said the tests are conducted in the first quarter of the year by an independent testing company.
Results provided by the commission show that that from 2005 through 2015 the test results showed thallium levels were Beneath Detectable Limits (BDL)
From 2016 to this year the results were ND or no detectable level.
Experts say an ND test result does not mean there is none of the contaminant in the sample but if there is it is below the limit set for the test.
Jeffers said the tests conducted are valid for as little as one part per billion, substantially below the 2 parts per billion limit on thallium in a drinking water supply.
The concern over thallium in the region's drinking water arose because of test results submitted late last year to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation by US Nitrogen, which draws millions of gallons of water from the Nolichucky for use in the production of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals.
Those tests showed that the water being discharged back into the river by the Midway company had 10.3 parts per billion of thallium, more than three times the allowable level of 2 parts per billion in drinking water.
TDEC spokeswoman Kim Schofinski stated earlier this week that the agency would be conducting its own tests to monitor thallium levels but the agency did not believe there was any threat to public health.
"TDEC will be conducting our own sampling out of an abundance of caution," Schofinski wrote in an email response to questions.

TEST RESULTS



Date sample collected: Results:
2-7-05 BDL
2-7-06 BDL
2-7-07 BDL
2-6-08 BDL
2-5-09 BDL
2-9-10 BDL
2-8-11 BDL
1-11-12 BDL
1-9-13 BDL
1-15-14 BDL
1-7-15 BDL
2-3-16 ND
1-4-17 ND
1-3-18 ND
1-3-19 ND
Source: Greeneville Water Commission

Nolichucky Thallium Levels 3Xs Drinking H2O Limit

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The thallium levels in water discharged from the US Nitrogen LLC plant in eastern Tennessee to the Nolichucky River were more than three times the maximum level for drinking water, according to the state Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).
A TDEC spokeswoman, Kim Schofinski, said the wastewater discharged from the Midway plant to the Nolichucky contained 10.3 parts per billion of thallium. That is more than three times the maximum contaminant level for thallium in drinking water.
Though the river is the source of drinking water for the region, Schofinski said tests conducted thus
far on drinking water in the area have not detected the presence of thallium, a chemical that in some forms and concentrations can cause serious illness and even death.
"TDEC will be conducting our own sampling out of an abundance of caution," Schofinski wrote in an email response to question.
Schofinski said data provided thus far has not made it possible for the agency to determine the thalium concentration of river water when it is first pumped from the river by US Nitrogen.
"While the data collected by US Nitrogen and submitted to TDEC may indicate the presence of thallium at the intake, it is not possible from the data provided to determine at what concentration," Schofinski stated.
The chemical company pumps millions of gallons of water per week from the river and uses most but not all of it in the production of ammonium nitrate and other products. Under a permit from the state the company gets the water free of charge.
Although the TDEC spokeswoman said reliable data was not available on the level of thallium in the water when first pumped from the river, other sources said data showed the level of thallium contamination increased substantially from the time of intake to discharge back into the river.
US Nitrogen officials have stated that the water used in the production of ammonium nitrate does not contain any thallium.
"The US Nitrogen facility does not use thallium or substances containing thallium as a component of any manufacturing processes," Kim Ryans, a US Nitrogen environmental specialist, wrote in an email response to questions."The water sampled and discharged to the Nolichucky River does not come into direct contact with US Nitrogen’s processes," she added.
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TDEC Monitoring for Thallium in Drinking Water

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee environmental officials say they have yet to identify the source of thallium that turned up from testing of water in the Nolichucky River, but they have no evidence to demonstrate any public health concerns.
Kim Schofinski, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, wrote in an email response to questions that testing thus far has turned up no evidence of the potentially dangerous chemical in drinking water facilities in the area.
The presence of thallium turned up in tests performed by US Nitrogen in Midway and reported to the state in a submission required under one of the company's permits.
The company reported that water it pumped back in the river contained thallium, but the company was not the source of the chemical.
"TDEC has not identified the source of thallium," Schofinski wrote, adding that "we have no evidence at this time to demonstrate any public health concerns."
She said monitoring at drinking water facilities in Greene County showed no traces of thallium.
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely," she concluded.
Some forms of thallium, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can cause serious health problems and even death.
"Thallium can affect your nervous system, lung, heart, liver, and kidney if large amounts are eaten or drunk for short periods of time,"according to the CDC. "Temporary hair loss, vomiting, and diarrhea can also occur and death may result after exposure to large amounts of thallium for short periods," the agency description continues.
US Nitrogen said in an email that US Nitrogen does not use thallium in its manufacturing process.
"The US Nitrogen facility does not use thallium or substances containing thallium as a component of any manufacturing processes," Kim Ryans wrote in an email response to questions.
The company's environmental specialist added, "The water sampled and discharged to the Nolichucky River does not come into direct contact with US Nitrogen’s processes," she added.
"We cannot speak to background concentrations upstream of the intake point," she wrote when asked if the company was aware of the source of the thallium.
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US Nitrogen Files Nolichucky Report

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

US Nitrogen has reported to state environmental officials that it pumped some 10.48 million gallons of water from the Nolichucky River during the month of December and discharged nearly 6.2 million back into the waterway.
The report, required under one of the chemical company's permits, shows that on six days during the month, some 700,000 gallons of water were drawn from the river. The discharge and uptake occur at milemarker 20.8 on the river in Greene County.
The December report shows a sharp drop from November when some 18.6 million gallons were drawn from the river.
The report comes following the chemical company's disclosure that the water being discharged to the river contains thallium a chemical that in some forms can be poisonous and even fatal. But the company says that it was not the source of the thallium and thallium is not used in any of its processes to produce ammonium nitrate.
"We cannot speak to background concentrations upstream of the intake point," Kim Ryans of US Nitrogen wrote in response to questions.
The report filed this week shows that on 13 days during December the company did not discharge any water into the river. On four December days it discharged more than 500,000 into the river.The total discharged was slightly lower than the 6.2 million discharged in November.
US Nitrogen pumps water from the river through a 10 mile pipeline running from the river to the company's Midway manufacturing facilities. The pipelines run along two state highways under a permit issued by the state Department of Transportation.
The pipeline and the permit prompted years of litigation by local landowners who only recently reached a settlement.
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A Greene County chemical company has disclosed to state officials that the waste water it has been pumping into the Nolichucky River contains a chemical that in some forms can be highly toxic and deadly to humans, but the company says it is not the source of the chemical.
The mandatory report on primary toxic pollutants was filed recently by US Nitrogen LLC with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. US Nitrogen Plant Manager Dylan Charles submitted the report which is required under one of the company's permits.
According to that report one of the chemicals US Nitrogen believes is present in the waste water pumped from its Midway facility to the Nolichucky River is thallium, an element that has been used in rat poison and insecticides.
"Thallium can affect your nervous system, lung, heart, liver, and kidney if large amounts are eaten or drunk for short periods of time,"according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Temporary hair loss, vomiting, and diarrhea can also occur and death may result after exposure to large amounts of thallium for short periods," the agency description continues.
The company draws millions of gallons per week from the river, treats it and then uses it in the manufacture of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals. Excess is then pumped back into the river."
An environmental and laboratory specialist at US Nitrogen said in an email that US Nitrogen does not use thallium in its manufacturing process.
"The US Nitrogen facility does not use thallium or substances containing thallium as a component of any manufacturing processes," Kim Ryans wrote in an email response to questions."The water sampled and discharged to the Nolichucky River does not come into direct contact with US Nitrogen’s processes," she added.
Asked about the source of the thallium, Ryans wrote,"We cannot speak to background concentrations upstream of the intake point."
Other chemicals listed on the US Nitrogen report included 5V. Bromoform, 8V choridibromoethane and 12V. dichlorobromomethane.
Bromoform is described as an organic toxic pollutant.
Still other chemicals listed as "believed present" in the report include sulfate, barium, molybdenum and manganese.
Ryans said that bromoform, chlorodibromomethane, and dichlorobromomethane are byproducts created by the use of bleach and bromine which are used as a disinfectant in the water treatment process of the incoming river water.
She said the river water is treated to minimize algae and biological growth.
"This disinfection process is a common treatment practice for municipal drinking water," she added noting that they are from a chemical family commonly used in low concentrations in the treatment of drinking water.
She said the level of those chemicals in the water tested was significantly lower than the maximum contaminant level established by the EPA for drinking water.
"The disinfection byproducts pose no threat to human health and the environment at these concentrations," Ryans said.
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Report: Thallium in Nolichucky Water

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

A Greene County chemical company has disclosed to state officials that the waste water it has been pumping into the Nolichucky River contains a chemical that in some forms can be highly toxic and deadly to humans, but the company says it is not the source of the chemical.
The mandatory report on primary toxic pollutants was filed recently by US Nitrogen LLC with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. US Nitrogen Plant Manager Dylan Charles submitted the report which is required under one of the company's permits.
According to that report one of the chemicals US Nitrogen believes is present in the waste water pumped from its Midway facility to the Nolichucky River is thallium, an element that has been used in rat poison and insecticides.
"Thallium can affect your nervous system, lung, heart, liver, and kidney if large amounts are eaten or drunk for short periods of time,"according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Temporary hair loss, vomiting, and diarrhea can also occur and death may result after exposure to large amounts of thallium for short periods," the agency description continues.
The company draws millions of gallons per week from the river, treats it and then uses it in the manufacture of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals. Excess is then pumped back into the river."
An environmental and laboratory specialist at US Nitrogen said in an email that US Nitrogen does not use thallium in its manufacturing process.
"The US Nitrogen facility does not use thallium or substances containing thallium as a component of any manufacturing processes," Kim Ryans wrote in an email response to questions."The water sampled and discharged to the Nolichucky River does not come into direct contact with US Nitrogen’s processes," she added.
Asked about the source of the thallium, Ryans wrote,"We cannot speak to background concentrations upstream of the intake point."
Other chemicals listed on the US Nitrogen report included 5V. Bromoform, 8V choridibromoethane and 12V. dichlorobromomethane.
Bromoform is described as an organic toxic pollutant.
Still other chemicals listed as "believed present" in the report include sulfate, barium, molybdenum and manganese.
Ryans said that bromoform, chlorodibromomethane, and dichlorobromomethane are byproducts created by the use of bleach and bromine which are used as a disinfectant in the water treatment process of the incoming river water.
She said the river water is treated to minimize algae and biological growth.
"This disinfection process is a common treatment practice for municipal drinking water," she added noting that they are from a chemical family commonly used in low concentrations in the treatment of drinking water.
She said the level of those chemicals in the water tested was significantly lower than the maximum contaminant level established by the EPA for drinking water.
"The disinfection byproducts pose no threat to human health and the environment at these concentrations," Ryans said.
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TDEC Fines US Nitrogen $1,500

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee environmental officials have imposed a $1,500 fine on US Nitrogen for installing and or operating a multimillion gallon ammonia storage facility without obtaining a required permit.
In an eight-page notice issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Air Pollution Control Director Michelle W. Owenby, said that the storage facility was actually constructed in mid-2016 but only became known to the agency during an inspector's visit to the Midway operation early this year.
The notice states that under state law and regulations the company could be fined up to $25,000 per day for the violation.
Owenby cited a series of permits issued to US Nitrogen by TDEC dating back to July 14, 2011.
Specifically the notice charges the company with "constructing/operating an air contaminant source prior to applying for and receiving the required permits."
According to the notice the company only filed a permit application on May 14 of this year following the inspector's visit. The application listed potential annual emissions of 23.3 tons per year. TDEC issued a formal notice of violation on June 29.
The notice states that the company can file an appeal and request a hearing.
The TDEC notice is not the only regulatory incident involving the Greene County firm in recently. In a recent consent agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company agreed to pay a $27,377 penalty for failing to protect against the accidental release of hazardous materials.
The ammonium nitrate manufacturer also recently sought to shift blame for another environmental violation to a third party, but the effort was rebuffed by TDEC.
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