US Nitrogen Application Questioned

By Walter F. Roche Jr.


Tennessee environmental officials have raised questions about an application form recently submitted by a chemical manufacturing firm and are asking whether the company is producing chemicals for other purposes than those currently approved.
In an e-mail to US Nitrogen's Stephen Wallace, TDEC's Maybelle Sparks wrote that an application submitted by US Nitrogen on April 27 contained language that "seems to imply that some ANSOL (Ammonium Nitrate Solution) may be used for purposes other than the manufacture of explosives."
"Will ANSOL be used for any other purpose," the email concludes.
The April 27 US Nitrogen application was for the renewal of the permit that allows the Midway firm to discharge effluent back into the Nolichucky River.
The email also warns US Nitrogen that because of the notice of incompleteness, the agency may request additional submissions in the future.
The language sparking the inquiry refers to secondary operations that may also include production of calcium nitrate and compresed carbon dioxide gas.
Those products, according to prior filings, are actually to be produced by two companies, Praxair and Yara, sharing the Midway site with US Nitrogen.
In another development TDEC officials reported that US Nitrogen successfully completed testing of its operations on May 14 and 15.
TDEC spokeswoman said the results of the emissions factor test will be used to establish parameters to determine the company's continued compliance with its permits.
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