By Walter F. Roche Jr.
US Nitrogen LLC is asking Tennessee environmental officials to conclude that two new pieces of equipment, a water pump and compressor, are insignificant sources of emissions and thus exempt from requiring a permit.
In a letter to officials of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Dylan Charles, the company's plant manager, said each of the sources would produce less than 1,000 pounds per year of hazardous pollutants.
The request marks the second time this year the company has sought such an exemption. In May TDEC agreed that the use of three 20,000 gallon sump pump water tanks did not require a permit.
In both the latest request and the prior one, the company has provided no details on how the equipment will be used. Though it is not explicitly stated in the request the equipment will apparently be used somewhere on the company's Greene County manufacturing site.
According to the request submitted today, the Sullair portable air compressor is powered by a 275 horsepower Caterpillar engine. The trailer mounted water pump is powered by a 74 horsepower engine.
Charles wrote that the air compressor will be used on a standby basis while the water pump will be used periodically. Emissions of non-hazardous substances will be less than five tons per year, according to the letter.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Monday, August 23, 2021
Linde Partner Fined for Excess Emissions
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
A partner of Linde LLC, a major participant in the Midway chemical complex in Greene County, has been cited and fined by state environmental officials due to emissions more than double the permit limit at a plant in Bradley County.
The January citation is only the latest in a series of issues at the Wacker Polysilicon plant which produces tiles used in generating solar energy. Linde supplies the ultra high purity hydrogen and steam needed to produce the polysilicon and bills itself as "an essential partner" in the operations.
The January citation by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation cites limits set in a permit issued in 2019. While the permit limits carbon monoxide emissions to .69 pounds per hour, tests conducted on May 12-14, 2020 showed carbon monoxide emissions averaging 1.49 pounds per hour.
The TDEC notice of the violation lists Linde and Wacker.
In a 2020 citation, regulators imposed a $1,500 fine, attributing an explosion at the plant to "an unavoidable failure of process equipment," when a piston fractured releasing hydrogen gas.
The accident killed one worker and seriously injured three others.
Three years earlier another Wacker accident injured 13 workers. Fines totaling $21,600 were imposed for the accident and related violations.
Linde officials did not respond to a series of questions about their role at the Wacker facility.
Linde became part of the US Nitrogen complex when it merged with Praxair, which produces liquified carbon dioxide at the Midway facility. The company also supplies several other industrial gases from other facilities across the country.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
A partner of Linde LLC, a major participant in the Midway chemical complex in Greene County, has been cited and fined by state environmental officials due to emissions more than double the permit limit at a plant in Bradley County.
The January citation is only the latest in a series of issues at the Wacker Polysilicon plant which produces tiles used in generating solar energy. Linde supplies the ultra high purity hydrogen and steam needed to produce the polysilicon and bills itself as "an essential partner" in the operations.
The January citation by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation cites limits set in a permit issued in 2019. While the permit limits carbon monoxide emissions to .69 pounds per hour, tests conducted on May 12-14, 2020 showed carbon monoxide emissions averaging 1.49 pounds per hour.
The TDEC notice of the violation lists Linde and Wacker.
In a 2020 citation, regulators imposed a $1,500 fine, attributing an explosion at the plant to "an unavoidable failure of process equipment," when a piston fractured releasing hydrogen gas.
The accident killed one worker and seriously injured three others.
Three years earlier another Wacker accident injured 13 workers. Fines totaling $21,600 were imposed for the accident and related violations.
Linde officials did not respond to a series of questions about their role at the Wacker facility.
Linde became part of the US Nitrogen complex when it merged with Praxair, which produces liquified carbon dioxide at the Midway facility. The company also supplies several other industrial gases from other facilities across the country.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
US Nitrogen River Testing Plan Resubmitted
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
An environmental consultant has resubmitted plans to Tennessee regulators for a bioassessment of the Nolichucky River near the point where millions of gallons of industrial wastewater per month are discharged into the waterway.
The 12-page plan, including charts and other data, was submitted Monday to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The plan, which appears identical to a plan submitted July 9, was submitted by Dinkins Biological Consulting LLC in behalf of US Nitrogen LLC.
The filing details where samples will be collected upstream and downstream from milemarker 20.8, where US Nitrogen discharges wastewater from its Midway chemical manufacturing facility.
For comparison purposes samples will also be collected from the Powell River, downstream of the island below McDowell Shoal at milemarker 106.5.
Samples collected from all sites will be analyzed by Pennington Associates in Cookeville. Dinkins officials did not respond to a request for comment on why the testing plans were submitted for a second time.
TDEC officials called on US Nitrogen to perform the bioassessment only after local environmental activist Park Overall pointed out that the test was overdue and required under the company permit.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
An environmental consultant has resubmitted plans to Tennessee regulators for a bioassessment of the Nolichucky River near the point where millions of gallons of industrial wastewater per month are discharged into the waterway.
The 12-page plan, including charts and other data, was submitted Monday to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The plan, which appears identical to a plan submitted July 9, was submitted by Dinkins Biological Consulting LLC in behalf of US Nitrogen LLC.
The filing details where samples will be collected upstream and downstream from milemarker 20.8, where US Nitrogen discharges wastewater from its Midway chemical manufacturing facility.
For comparison purposes samples will also be collected from the Powell River, downstream of the island below McDowell Shoal at milemarker 106.5.
Samples collected from all sites will be analyzed by Pennington Associates in Cookeville. Dinkins officials did not respond to a request for comment on why the testing plans were submitted for a second time.
TDEC officials called on US Nitrogen to perform the bioassessment only after local environmental activist Park Overall pointed out that the test was overdue and required under the company permit.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Friday, August 13, 2021
TDEC OKs USN Emission Test Data
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
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Tennessee environmental officials say recent emission reports submitted by a Greene County chemical firm show the company has remained in compliance with state regulations and the conditions of the company permits.
In a letter issued today, Bryan Parker, an environmental manager with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said the data from US Nitrogen for the first two quarters of this year was "technically correct" and acceptable under agency standards.
The reports detailed six months of nitrous oxide emissions for US Nitrogen's steam generating boiler and nitric acid plant in Greene County.
Parker wrote that the reports showed that at no time during the period were nitrous oxide limits exceeded for either the boiler or the acid plant.
In the letter to Dylan Charles, US Nitrogen's plant manager, Parker also stated that the data showed the company's nitrous oxide monitoring systems achieved the 95 per cent operational availability level required.
These represent the second set of emissions data from US Nitrogen that TDEC has acknowledged and found to meet permit standards in the past two weeks.
The prior emission test results were submitted following on-site testing at the Midway plant on June 8 and June 9.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
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Tennessee environmental officials say recent emission reports submitted by a Greene County chemical firm show the company has remained in compliance with state regulations and the conditions of the company permits.
In a letter issued today, Bryan Parker, an environmental manager with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said the data from US Nitrogen for the first two quarters of this year was "technically correct" and acceptable under agency standards.
The reports detailed six months of nitrous oxide emissions for US Nitrogen's steam generating boiler and nitric acid plant in Greene County.
Parker wrote that the reports showed that at no time during the period were nitrous oxide limits exceeded for either the boiler or the acid plant.
In the letter to Dylan Charles, US Nitrogen's plant manager, Parker also stated that the data showed the company's nitrous oxide monitoring systems achieved the 95 per cent operational availability level required.
These represent the second set of emissions data from US Nitrogen that TDEC has acknowledged and found to meet permit standards in the past two weeks.
The prior emission test results were submitted following on-site testing at the Midway plant on June 8 and June 9.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Monday, August 9, 2021
US Nitrogen Reports on River Use
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
US Nitrogen LLC drew 18 million gallons of water from the Nolichucky River in July, according to a report filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The monthly report shows the largest amount drawn in a single day, 1.2 million gallons, came on July 7.
The monthly total marks a sharp drop from the June data which showed some 28.8 million gallons drawn from the Nolichucky. The company draws the water through a 13 mile pipeline to its Midway manufacturing facility in eastern Tennessee. The water is treated and used in the manufacture of ammonium nitrate and related products.
The unused river water is discharged back into the river at milepoint 20.8.
In July the company reported discharging just under 7 million gallons to the river. On eight days a minimal amount was discharged. The highest amount, some 600,000 gallons was on July 12.
In June the company reported discharging 13.6 million gallons back into the Nolichucky.
US Nitrogen LLC drew 18 million gallons of water from the Nolichucky River in July, according to a report filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The monthly report shows the largest amount drawn in a single day, 1.2 million gallons, came on July 7.
The monthly total marks a sharp drop from the June data which showed some 28.8 million gallons drawn from the Nolichucky. The company draws the water through a 13 mile pipeline to its Midway manufacturing facility in eastern Tennessee. The water is treated and used in the manufacture of ammonium nitrate and related products.
The unused river water is discharged back into the river at milepoint 20.8.
In July the company reported discharging just under 7 million gallons to the river. On eight days a minimal amount was discharged. The highest amount, some 600,000 gallons was on July 12.
In June the company reported discharging 13.6 million gallons back into the Nolichucky.
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