By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Utiilizing a little known provision in state environmental statutes a major chemical company sought and obtained approval from state environmental regulators to keep certain emissions data from public disclosure.
Documents released this week show the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation granted the request from US Nitrogen LLC to keep some of the data out of the public file.
The data was included in US Nitrogen's response to a series of questions posed by TDEC after the company requested that it be allowed to exceed visible emission limits during startups and shutdowns of its nitric acid plant in Midway, Greene County.
TDEC has yet to act on the US Nitrogen's request on visible emission limits.
Documents released this week show the company filed the request to keep some data from public view on April 18. The request was signed by company Plant Manager Dylan Charles.
UDEC documents state that applicants can request a protective order for confidential information to prevent public dissemination of any secret formula, process or method used in any manufacturing operation.
The TDEC document continues however: " The composition of air contaminants shall not be considered secret unless so declared by the Division of Air Pollution Control."
The redacted documents released this week show several pages were nearly blank.
The heading on the first blank page states: " observations of NOx and NH3 emissions when the division made visible emissions observations.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
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