US Nitrogen Proposes New Emission Limits

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The operators of a controversial Tennessee chemical manufacturing company have sent a three-page proposal to state environmental officials in which they agreed to set new limits on various emissions from its multiple operations at its Greene County facility.
In a three-page letter dated April 11 Dylan Charles, US Nitrogen's plant manager, told Michelle Owenby of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation that the limits would apply to the company's conditional major operating permit. In each category Velo cited prior requests submitted by the company dating back to 2015.
The letter does not indicate what the current limits are for the various categories or whether the newly proposed limits represent an increase or decrease.
According to the letter US Nitrogen agrees to limit in particulate matter emissions of 0.29 pounds per hour and 1.3 tons per 12 consecutive months for its cooling tower.
For the company's ammonia plant flue gas tanks, the company agrees to a limit on particulate matter emissions of .75 pounds per hour and 3.3 tons per 12 consecutive months. For the boiler the company agrees to a limit of particulate emissions of one pound per hour and 3.76 tons for any 12 consecutive months.
Sulfur dioxide limits agreed to by the company are .06 pounds per hour and .26 tons per any 12 consecutive months for the ammonia plant flue gas stacks. For carbon monoxide emissions from the boiler the company agreed to a limit of 4.52 pounds per hour and 19.8 tons per any 12 consecutive months.
A limit of 8.32 pounds per hour and 36.44 tons per any 12 consecutive months of carbon monoxide would be set for the ammonia plant flue stacks.
For the steam generating boiler US Nitrogen agreed to an emissions limit of sulfur dioxide of .10 pounds per hour and .30 tons for any 12 consecutive month period. Nitrogen oxide emissions would be limited to 3.96 pounds per hour and 17.32 tons for any 12 month consecutive period. Carbon monoxide limits would be set at 4.52 pounds per minute and 19.8 tons per any 12 consecutive month period
Citing a request submitted by the company in late 2015, the company agreed to a limit of .035 pounds per one million btu's of nitrous dioxide.
Finally the company agreed to limits on ammonia and other flares on carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide