By Walter F. Roche Jr.
US Nitrogen LLC has been given another 30 days to collect data requested by the state to back up the company's own request for a loosening of opacity limits during startups and shutdowns of its nitric acid plant.
In a letter this week to USN's plant manager Dylan Charles, Michelle Owenby of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation wrote that at the company's request the new deadline to submit the data has been set for April 19.
Opacity limits have been an issue since US Nitrogen opened its Greene County manufacturing facility in 2019.
According to Owenby's letter the extension was not formally requested but was sent to a TDEC official in a Feb. 21 email from Steven Wallace, a USN environmental official.
The extension is just the latest in a series of back-and-forth exchanges between the chemical firm and state environmental on the limits on opacity limits duirng the startups and shutdowns at the acid plant. The nitric acid is used in the production of ammonium nitrate, USN's principal product.
Though the state had been developing those opacity standards, USN asked for a delay, but then reversed itself and asked the state to resume its efforts.
TDEC then asked USN for the additional data and gave a 30 day deadline for submission. That triggered USN's request for the 30 day extension.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Sunday, February 20, 2022
State Seeks More Info on USN Request
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Tennessee environmental officials are seeking detailed information from a Greene County chemical firm on its request to ease air pollution limits during startups and shutdowns of its nitric acid plant.
In a letter sent last week to Dylan Charles, plant manager of US Nitrogen LLC, an official of the state Department of Environment and Conservation said the detailed data should be provided within 30 days.
The request comes after US Nitrogen reversed course and asked TDEC to develop a "source specific" amendment to the state implementation plan on the opacity limits for startups, and shutdowns of US Nitrogen's nitric acid plant.
US Nitrogen had previously asked TDEC to "hold off" on setting specific new limits for US Nitrogen.
In the letter Michelle Owenby, a TDEC director, said US Nitrogen should provide data on the recorded emissions levels during prior startups and shutdowns from Sept. 11 2016 to Feb. 23, 2018.
Charles requested the new state effort in December of last year, but the request was not made public untill January.
The data requested includes USN's definition of a startup and the actual duration of startups and the number of startups during the specified time period.
TDEC also wants to know the chemical composition of the emissions and the efforts US Nitrogen has made to minimize those emissions.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Tennessee environmental officials are seeking detailed information from a Greene County chemical firm on its request to ease air pollution limits during startups and shutdowns of its nitric acid plant.
In a letter sent last week to Dylan Charles, plant manager of US Nitrogen LLC, an official of the state Department of Environment and Conservation said the detailed data should be provided within 30 days.
The request comes after US Nitrogen reversed course and asked TDEC to develop a "source specific" amendment to the state implementation plan on the opacity limits for startups, and shutdowns of US Nitrogen's nitric acid plant.
US Nitrogen had previously asked TDEC to "hold off" on setting specific new limits for US Nitrogen.
In the letter Michelle Owenby, a TDEC director, said US Nitrogen should provide data on the recorded emissions levels during prior startups and shutdowns from Sept. 11 2016 to Feb. 23, 2018.
Charles requested the new state effort in December of last year, but the request was not made public untill January.
The data requested includes USN's definition of a startup and the actual duration of startups and the number of startups during the specified time period.
TDEC also wants to know the chemical composition of the emissions and the efforts US Nitrogen has made to minimize those emissions.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Thursday, February 10, 2022
USN Parent Planning Corrective Action
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
The parent company of a Greene County chemical firm has hired a contractor to take corrective action on a series of environmental violations at its 600 plus acre facility in Davidson County.
Ryan Evans, a biologist,in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville office, said a corrective action plan submitted by the Austin Powder Co.has been approved.
The corps and the state Department of Environment and Conservation had cited Austin for altering and blocking waterways and conducting unauthorized logging on its 600 acre property in Pegram.
Austin, based in Ohio, owns US Nitrogen which operates a manufacturing facility in Midway. The ammonium nitrate produced by US Nitrogen is used by Austin to manufacture explosives.
Evans said Austin has hired a contractor to execute the action plan.
The corrective action plan was submitted last year and approved Aug. 23, Evans said.
Both TDEC and the Army corp have cited Austin for unauthorized logging and land clearing. The firm was also cited for violations of the state Water Quality Act. along with violations of the state Water Quality Act.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com Laborer Austin Powder | Pegram, TN Posted 2 days ago RE: [Non-DoD Source] You replied on Thu 2/10/2022 6:24 PM You replied on Thu 2/10/2022 6:24 PM Peoples, William L (Bill) CIV USARMY CELRN (USA)
Thu 2/10/2022 2:55 PM
Wally,
Here is our statement.
On August 17, 2021 Austin Powder provided a Corrective Action Plan for the
impacted site to the Corps. The Corps issued a Nationwide permit on August
23, 2021 authorizing implementation of the Corrective Action Plan. Based on
correspondence on February 7, 2022, Austin Powder has secured a contractor
who will be undertaking the corrective action measures.
This can be attributed to Ryan Evans, biologist, Regulatory Division, Nashville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He also told me that Austin Powers has until March 18 to complete all the elements of the corrective action plan.
The parent company of a Greene County chemical firm has hired a contractor to take corrective action on a series of environmental violations at its 600 plus acre facility in Davidson County.
Ryan Evans, a biologist,in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville office, said a corrective action plan submitted by the Austin Powder Co.has been approved.
The corps and the state Department of Environment and Conservation had cited Austin for altering and blocking waterways and conducting unauthorized logging on its 600 acre property in Pegram.
Austin, based in Ohio, owns US Nitrogen which operates a manufacturing facility in Midway. The ammonium nitrate produced by US Nitrogen is used by Austin to manufacture explosives.
Evans said Austin has hired a contractor to execute the action plan.
The corrective action plan was submitted last year and approved Aug. 23, Evans said.
Both TDEC and the Army corp have cited Austin for unauthorized logging and land clearing. The firm was also cited for violations of the state Water Quality Act. along with violations of the state Water Quality Act.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com Laborer Austin Powder | Pegram, TN Posted 2 days ago RE: [Non-DoD Source] You replied on Thu 2/10/2022 6:24 PM You replied on Thu 2/10/2022 6:24 PM Peoples, William L (Bill) CIV USARMY CELRN (USA)
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