US Nitrogen Issues River Use Report

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

US Nitrogen LLC pumped a little over 14 million gallons of water from the Nolichucky River in September, a 6 million gallon drop from the month before, according to a report filed this week with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The Greene County chemical company, which uses the free water in its manufacturing processes, also reported discharging just shy of six million gallons of waste water back into the river.
That compares with the 20.8 million gallons pumped from the river in August and the 10.5 million gallons of wastewater pumped back to the Nolichucky in August.
The highest daily total of river water company drawn by the ammonium nitrate manufacturer came on Sept. 25 when a little under one million gallons were pumped to the Midway facility through a 13 mile pipeline.
Minimal amounts of water were discharged to the river on 11 days during the month including from Sept. 4 through Sept. 6. On four days more than five million gallons were discharged to the Nolichucky including Sept. 2 when 5.4 million gallons were discharged.
Daily totals of water pumped from the river and the amounts discharged are required under the company's permits from TDEC. The twin 13-mile pipelines along state highway rights of way were approved by the state transportation agency.
As a result of a long legal battle the company does pays a rental fee to two landowners who charged that the pipeline actually crossed into their properties.