By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Tennessee environmental officials are questioning the calculations used by a Greene County chemical firm to justify a request to use new equipment without a permit.
In a series of email exchanges between an official of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Kim Ryans, the environmental supervisor for US Nitrogen LLC James Johnston of TDEC states that he has been unable to replicate the data submitted by the Midway company.
"Can you please provide the formula you used," Johnston wrote in one recent email.
According to the emails, the data in question involves emissions from an air compresor and a pump engine. Specifically Johnston has asked where the company came up with a conversion factor for BTUs (British Thermal Units) used per horsepower produced.
US Nitrogen has asked the agency to agree that the new equipment is an "insignificant emissions unit" and thus exempt from permit requirement.
In an email sent today to Ryans, Johnston asked that the company provide the formula it used in calculating emission levels.
Ryans has responded to prior requests on the matter with a series of emission calculation spread sheets.
In seeking TDEC's approval in late August Dylan Charles, US Nitrogen's plant manager said each of the two new pieces of equipment would produce less than 1,000 pounds per year of hazardous pollutants.
Earlier this year US Nitrogen was granted an exemption from permit requirements for the use of three 20,000 gallon sump pump water tanks.
US Nitrogen has not disclosed what the new equipment will be used for.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
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