By Walter F. Roche Jr.
After some prodding by a local environmental activist, US Nitrogen LLC has belatedly
scheduled an endangered species bioassessment to determine the impact of the company's use of the Nolichucky River.
In an email posted today by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Kim Ryans of US Nitrogen told state officials the tests would be performed on Nov. 16 and Nov. 18.
The notification came only after Park Overall complained repeatedly to TDEC and other officials that the chemical firm was required to do a bioassessment by Oct. 31. Conducting the test was a requirement under one of US Nitrogen's TDEC's permits.
The delay in performing the tests, however, means that the test results are unlikely to be available by the date of a scheduled permit hearing.
That session is scheduled for Nov. 19.
In her emails to TDEC officials Overall said she needed the test results so she could use them in testimony at the public hearing.
In her emails Overall stated that there were nine endangered species that had been detected in earlier testing of the river water. One such assessment was performed by Dinkins Environmental Consulting in December of 2013.
US Nitrogen's permit allows the company to pump millions of gallons of water from the river for use in the production of ammonium nitrate and related products. The company also has a permit to discharge excess water from its operations back in to the Nolichucky.
The discharge and the pump taking water from the river are at milemarker 20.8 about 12 miles from US Nitrogen's Midway manufacturing facility.
Overall has also complained to state and federal officials about dead animals being found on Pond Creek.
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