Excess Nitrates in US Nitrogen Runoff

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

Excess levels of nitrates have shown up in runoff water at the site of a Greene County chemical firm, according to a report filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Officials of US Nitrogen reported the excess in an annual report on storm water runoff from its Midway manufacturing facility. The primary product produced by the company is ammonium nitrate.
The company told TDEC that it plans to investigate to determine the source of nitrates and nitrites. While the "benchmark" level of notrates is .68 milligrams per liter, the level in the company tests was 1.18 milligrams per liter.
"The source is suspected to be a 20 foot long trench which was installed in early 2019 to collect storm-water from the rail loading area," the report from US Nitrogen's manager, Dylan Charles states, adding that the trench was used to re-direct water into an underflow which discharges to a drainage basin.
"We will conduct an investigation in this area to determine if this is the likely cause," Charles wrote.
The excess nitrates have not been listed in prior annual reports from the company.
Charles also reported that excess levels of aluminum and magnesium turned up in tests from other locations on the plant site. Those excesses have been reported previously, as Charles noted.
The company has attributed those findings to "background concentrations and/or water flowing over rock." The company official noted that excess levels of magnesium have shown up in the Nolichucky River.
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