TDEC: Orange Plumes at USN Were Water Vapor

By Walter F. Roche Jr..
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Tennessee environmental officials have concluded that orange plumes observed by area residents near the US Nitrogen LLC plant in February were most likely water vapors illuminated by the rising sun.
In a three-page letter to Brock Wampler, one of the complainants, Ron Wilhoit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, wrote that a review of the Greene County company records, including 2.5 hours of video tape, showed that the company remained within its various permit limits on the morning of Feb. 15..
Wampler and other area residents, including Park Overall, had registered complaints with TDEC after observing the orange plumes around 7:30 a.m. on Feb 15.
Overall also provided photos of the plumes. The pictures, which at one point appeared to have disappeared, were attached to the Aug. 6 Wampler letter. "There were no exceedances or upset conditions with other processes at the facility," Wilhoit wrote, noting that water vapors do not apply to opacity limits.
But, he continued, the records showed that there were sufficient nitrous oxides present at the time to produce orange emissions.
From a review of the tapes from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Feb. 15, Wilhoit reported that cooling towers at the complex "began to appear orange at around 7:27 a.m. lasting till around 7:43 a.m. coinciding with the sunrise behind it.".
"Based on the video and knowledge of processes at the facility visible plumes observed during this period appeared to be condensed water vapor," Wilhoit concluded.
Wilhoit's letter and TDEC records indicate that the complaints had been adjudged invalid while the investigation was still going on.
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