US Nitrogen Ups River Use

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The amount of free water drawn from a Tennessee river by a Greene County chemical firm jumped to 17 million gallons in May, a more than 4 million gallon increase, according to a report filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The report filed today by US Nitrogen LLC shows the company pumped more than a million gallons per day from the Nolichucky River on seven days. The largest single day amount, 1.16 million gallons, was pumped to the Midway manufacturing facility on May 29. Minimal amounts were pumped from the Nolichucky on five days during the month.
Under its state permit, US Nitrogen is allowed to pump from the river at no charge. The permit does require the company to file monthly reports.
US Nitrogen uses the river water in the production of ammonium nitrate. The company has a separate permit which permits it to discharge unneeded water back in to the river.
During May the company discharged 6.4 million gallons back into the river. The largest amount, just shy of 500,000 gallons, was discharged on May 27. On 10 days the company discharged a minimal amount in to the river.
The May totals reflect a big jump from April when only 13 million gallons of water were pumped from the river, while 5.4 million was discharged back into the Nolichucky.
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