Consultant: US Nitrogen Violated Permit

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

An environmental consultant says US Nitrogen violated its state permit by emitting up to three times the allowable level of ammonia from its Greene County manufacturing facility.
In a three-page letter to Michelle Owenby of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation the consultant called on the state to issue a notice of violation to US Nitrogen, order an immediate reduction of production at the Midway plant and impose "appropriate penalties to change USN's behaviour regarding the environment."
D. Howard Gebhart of Air Resource Specialists said that recent tests at US Nitrogen showed excess ammonia emissions were recorded under "each and every condition." He submitted the report in behalf of Park Overall and other local opponents of the company operations
Noting that the state permit caps the amount of ammonia the company can emit into the atmosphere at 3.5 tons over any continuous 12 month period, Gebhart found, based on data from US Nitrogen itself, that US Nitrogen was emitting some 10.6 tons of ammonia per year.
"There is credible evidence that USN has been operating in violation of Permit 47892 by releasing more than 3.5 tons of ammonia emissions into the atmosphere," the letter states.
He noted that "excess ammonia emissions are a concern for various reasons,"including a strong odor, irritation and burns of the skin, eyes and lungs.
Gebhart said data submitted by US Nitrogen to TDEC previously showed the company operated its two ammonia production trains "more or less continuously in 2019." He noted that a recent compliance report from the company omitted a notice of compliance with the ammonia limit.
In addition to calling for TDEC to issue a notice of violation and impose a fine, Gebhart said TDEC should order US Nitrogen to prepare and implement a corrective action plan, require the company to submit more frequent testing data and require that a third party be hired to audit the company's actions.
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