Key US Nitrogen Hearing Set

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Tennessee state officials will be presiding over a key hearing tomorrow on the renewal of a controversial permit that allows a chemical company to pump millions of gallons of free water from the Nolichucky River for use in its manufacturing operations.
The hearing set by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will begin with an informational session from 5 to 6 p.m. to be followed by a formal public hearing from 6 to 8 p.m. It will be held in the gymnasium at the West Green High School.
Under its existing permit, which expires June 2, the company has pumped some 350 million gallons of water from the Nolichucky. It has been pulling water from the river since March of 2016.
Local environmental activist Park Overall said she plans to be at the hearing and testify against renewal of the permit.
The water is drawn through a pipeline from the river to US Nitrogen's Midway manufacturing plant.
The Tuesday session is the first of two key hearings relating to US Nitrogen, which primarily produces ammonium nitrate for use in explosives produced by its corporate parent, Austin Powder, based in Ohio. On June 10 TDEC will be holding a hearing on a permit application by US Nitrogen to merge some seven current permits int a single environmental permit. That hearing will begin at 5:30 with an information session. It will be followed by a formal hearing at 7 p.m. The June 10 session will also be held at the gymnasium at West Green High School.