By Walter F. Roche Jr.
US Nitrogen LLC has reported to Tennessee environmental officials that it has completed a test to determine if there are any leaks in the 12-mile pipeline that runs from its plant in Midway to the Nolichucky River.
According to the report filed with the state the hydrostatic test was conducted on Dec. 9. The company, which produces liquid ammonium nitrate, had sought and obtained a special permit to conduct the test. That permit has now been terminated, at the company's request, since the test was completed.
The permit application stated that as much as 22,000 gallons of hydrostatic water would be released in a one time event.
US Nitrogen told state officials the discharge would be made from a point in the pipeline along the right-of-way of McDonald Road 1,000 feet southeast of Lick Creek and about 1,800 feet from the Beulah Baptist Church.
Under the permit the company was required to notify the state within 30 days of the actual test date. The filing does not indicate whether any leaks were detected.
Data submitted by US Nitrogen indicates the effluent released had a 7.9 pH score, which means it was slightly basic. A pH below 7 indicates acidity with 1 being the maximum level of acidity.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Thursday, January 21, 2021
US Nitrogen Reports Equipment Malfunction
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
A Greene County chemical firm has reported an equipment malfunction to state environmental regulators in a monthly report on the water it has pumped from the Nolichucky River.
US Nitrogen LLC reported that the malfunction forced them to estimate the amount of water withdrawn on four days in the month of December, Dec. 15, and Dec. 25- Dec. 27. On those three days the company reported it withdrew no water.
The company reported a similar malfunction in its report covering the month of October.
Overall the company reported withdrawing 9.9 million gallons from the river in December. That's about half the amount reported for the month of November.
The company uses the river water in the production of ammonium nitrate and related products.
According to the report the largest amount withdrawn in a day was just under one million gallons on Dec. 31.
A little under six million gallons of wastewater was pumped back into the river during the month.
A minimal amount was discharged into the river on 10 days including Dec. 5 and Dec. 6.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
A Greene County chemical firm has reported an equipment malfunction to state environmental regulators in a monthly report on the water it has pumped from the Nolichucky River.
US Nitrogen LLC reported that the malfunction forced them to estimate the amount of water withdrawn on four days in the month of December, Dec. 15, and Dec. 25- Dec. 27. On those three days the company reported it withdrew no water.
The company reported a similar malfunction in its report covering the month of October.
Overall the company reported withdrawing 9.9 million gallons from the river in December. That's about half the amount reported for the month of November.
The company uses the river water in the production of ammonium nitrate and related products.
According to the report the largest amount withdrawn in a day was just under one million gallons on Dec. 31.
A little under six million gallons of wastewater was pumped back into the river during the month.
A minimal amount was discharged into the river on 10 days including Dec. 5 and Dec. 6.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Thursday, January 14, 2021
US Nitrogen Seeks Permit Amendments
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
A chemical company that just won renewal of a critical permit is now seeking a series of amendments to its operating permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
In a submission to TDEC this week US Nitrogen LLC, located in Greene County, asked to have a current limit on the number of burners used in it two ammonia trains eliminated.
In a letter to Michelle Owenby, US Nitrogen's Dylan Charles said the changes were being requested due to the results of two days of tests conducted in late July.
In addition US Nitrogen is asking TDEC to change the emission factors used to determine the company's compliance with nitrous oxide emission limits. The company wants TDEC to replace the existing standard, which was set in 2016, to a new standard set as a result of the July tests.
The third requested change in its major conditional operating permit asks that it include a range of ammonia injection rates for each Selective Catalytic Reduction unit that can be used to assure compliance with nitrous oxide limits, so that there would be "no ammonia slip."
Charles, in a cover letter, indicates that the proposed changes have been the subject of ongoing discussions between the company and TDEC officials.
The requested changes come in the same week TDEC gave its official approval to another key US Nitrogen permit. Renewed was the permit that allows US Nitrogen to pump effluent from its plant in Midway to mile marker 20.8 in the Nolichucky River.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
A chemical company that just won renewal of a critical permit is now seeking a series of amendments to its operating permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
In a submission to TDEC this week US Nitrogen LLC, located in Greene County, asked to have a current limit on the number of burners used in it two ammonia trains eliminated.
In a letter to Michelle Owenby, US Nitrogen's Dylan Charles said the changes were being requested due to the results of two days of tests conducted in late July.
In addition US Nitrogen is asking TDEC to change the emission factors used to determine the company's compliance with nitrous oxide emission limits. The company wants TDEC to replace the existing standard, which was set in 2016, to a new standard set as a result of the July tests.
The third requested change in its major conditional operating permit asks that it include a range of ammonia injection rates for each Selective Catalytic Reduction unit that can be used to assure compliance with nitrous oxide limits, so that there would be "no ammonia slip."
Charles, in a cover letter, indicates that the proposed changes have been the subject of ongoing discussions between the company and TDEC officials.
The requested changes come in the same week TDEC gave its official approval to another key US Nitrogen permit. Renewed was the permit that allows US Nitrogen to pump effluent from its plant in Midway to mile marker 20.8 in the Nolichucky River.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Controversial US Nitrogen Permit Renewed
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Tennessee environmental officials have renewed a controversial permit that allows a Greene County chemical firm to dump millions of gallons of its wastewater into the Nolichucky River.
The permit, which will remain in effect till Jan. 31, 2025, was granted to US Nitrogen which also uses millions of gallons of water from the river under a separate permit.
The permit was granted despite considerable. opposition expressed at a Nov.19 virtual public hearing and in over a dozen written comments.
In issuing the permit, offficials of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation concluded that the discharges into the Nolichucky "will not cause degradation above a de minnimis level."
Several of those submitting comcments had asked that TDEC at least delay the renewal till March when additional bio-assessment data is scheduled to be available.
In its notice of approval TDEC stated, "Permit re-issuance is not dependent on bioassessment data."
Local environmental activist Park Overall who testified at the November hearing and submitted extensive written comments, said she was not surprised by TDEC's decision.
"All they have done is run violations, make people sick, killed animals, added to an already legally impaired Stream and river," she wrote in an email response to the renewal.
In its decision TDEC acknowledged that US Nitrogen had failed to complete bioassessments that should have been submitted in October, but noted that the company has agreed to perform two assessments, one this year and the other in 2025.
"There is no reason to believe that any species has been impaired," the approval notice states, adding that the tests should show if the effluent is causing damage to water fleas and fathead minnows.
The permit states that the amount of effluent the company can discharge at mile marker 20.8 of the Nolichucky is based on the production of 200 tons per day of ammonia, 600 tons per day of nitric acid and 840 tons per day of ammonium nitrate solution.
A subsidiary of Ohio based Austin Powder, US Nitrogen's products are used in the manufacture of explosives.
The permit does set a series of regular reporting requirements including monthly reports on the actual volume of wastewater discharged into the Nolichucky.
The company is also required to notify TDEC of any violations of the permit limits including notice within 24 hours of any violation that poses a threat to the public water supply.
The permit also requires US Nitrogen implement a Best Management Practices plan to limit or prevent any chemical spills.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com A
Tennessee environmental officials have renewed a controversial permit that allows a Greene County chemical firm to dump millions of gallons of its wastewater into the Nolichucky River.
The permit, which will remain in effect till Jan. 31, 2025, was granted to US Nitrogen which also uses millions of gallons of water from the river under a separate permit.
The permit was granted despite considerable. opposition expressed at a Nov.19 virtual public hearing and in over a dozen written comments.
In issuing the permit, offficials of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation concluded that the discharges into the Nolichucky "will not cause degradation above a de minnimis level."
Several of those submitting comcments had asked that TDEC at least delay the renewal till March when additional bio-assessment data is scheduled to be available.
In its notice of approval TDEC stated, "Permit re-issuance is not dependent on bioassessment data."
Local environmental activist Park Overall who testified at the November hearing and submitted extensive written comments, said she was not surprised by TDEC's decision.
"All they have done is run violations, make people sick, killed animals, added to an already legally impaired Stream and river," she wrote in an email response to the renewal.
In its decision TDEC acknowledged that US Nitrogen had failed to complete bioassessments that should have been submitted in October, but noted that the company has agreed to perform two assessments, one this year and the other in 2025.
"There is no reason to believe that any species has been impaired," the approval notice states, adding that the tests should show if the effluent is causing damage to water fleas and fathead minnows.
The permit states that the amount of effluent the company can discharge at mile marker 20.8 of the Nolichucky is based on the production of 200 tons per day of ammonia, 600 tons per day of nitric acid and 840 tons per day of ammonium nitrate solution.
A subsidiary of Ohio based Austin Powder, US Nitrogen's products are used in the manufacture of explosives.
The permit does set a series of regular reporting requirements including monthly reports on the actual volume of wastewater discharged into the Nolichucky.
The company is also required to notify TDEC of any violations of the permit limits including notice within 24 hours of any violation that poses a threat to the public water supply.
The permit also requires US Nitrogen implement a Best Management Practices plan to limit or prevent any chemical spills.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com A
Saturday, December 19, 2020
TDEC Concerned Over Possible Excess Emissions
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
Citing a discrepancy in data submitted by a major chemical company, Tennessee environmental regulators say they are concerned that the company may have exceeded set permit limits on nitrous oxide emissions.
In a two-page letter sent yesterday to Dylan Charles of US Nitrogen LLC, an official of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is asking the Greene County firm to recalculate the amount of nitrous oxide emitted from the Midway plant going back to the third quarter of 2017.
Bryan Parker, the TDEC official, wrote that US Nitrogen should make the new calculations based on the corrected data US Nitrogen submitted on Aug. 24 of this year.
Citing those revised figures, Parker wrote, "In reviewing this situation, the division has concerns over the potential for excess emissions to have occurred but not being reported due to the calculation discrepancy."
Parker wrote that the new calculations "will serve to veriy that no excess emissions occurred during the time period when the emissions were not being properly reported."
He added that if US Nitrogen is able to ascertain when the discrepancy first occurred then nitrous oxide emissions will only have to be recalculated from that point forward.
Parker, however, added that the corrected data must be accompanied by a letter explaining "why this issue occurred."
Parker said the revised data and the explanation should be submitted along with the company's next semi-annual report on nitrous oxide emissions.
Parker's letter was sent in response to US Nitrogen's latest semi-annual report on nitrous oxide emissions from the nitric acid plant and a steam generating boiler. The report covered the first six months of 2020.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Citing a discrepancy in data submitted by a major chemical company, Tennessee environmental regulators say they are concerned that the company may have exceeded set permit limits on nitrous oxide emissions.
In a two-page letter sent yesterday to Dylan Charles of US Nitrogen LLC, an official of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is asking the Greene County firm to recalculate the amount of nitrous oxide emitted from the Midway plant going back to the third quarter of 2017.
Bryan Parker, the TDEC official, wrote that US Nitrogen should make the new calculations based on the corrected data US Nitrogen submitted on Aug. 24 of this year.
Citing those revised figures, Parker wrote, "In reviewing this situation, the division has concerns over the potential for excess emissions to have occurred but not being reported due to the calculation discrepancy."
Parker wrote that the new calculations "will serve to veriy that no excess emissions occurred during the time period when the emissions were not being properly reported."
He added that if US Nitrogen is able to ascertain when the discrepancy first occurred then nitrous oxide emissions will only have to be recalculated from that point forward.
Parker, however, added that the corrected data must be accompanied by a letter explaining "why this issue occurred."
Parker said the revised data and the explanation should be submitted along with the company's next semi-annual report on nitrous oxide emissions.
Parker's letter was sent in response to US Nitrogen's latest semi-annual report on nitrous oxide emissions from the nitric acid plant and a steam generating boiler. The report covered the first six months of 2020.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
US Nitrogen Pumps 18 million River Gallons
By Walter F. Roche Jr.
A Greene County chemical firm pumped more than 18 million gallons from the Nolichucky River during November, according to a report filed with Tennessee environmental regulators.
The monthly report from US Nitrogen LLC shows the company pumped more than a million gallons from the river on three separate days including 1.3 million on Nov. 18.
The company uses the river water in the production of ammonium nitrate.
The company also reported it dumped nearly 8 million gallons of excess water back into the Nolichucky.
In a related development the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issue an amended permit to Yara North America, which occupies the same Midway site as US Nitrogen.
Under the permit Yara agrees to cap its production in any 12 month period to 72,000 tons. The permit also caps nitrous oxide emissions at 19.6 tons in any 12 month period or 4.5 pounds per hour.
The permit expires on Dec. 3, 2022.
A Greene County chemical firm pumped more than 18 million gallons from the Nolichucky River during November, according to a report filed with Tennessee environmental regulators.
The monthly report from US Nitrogen LLC shows the company pumped more than a million gallons from the river on three separate days including 1.3 million on Nov. 18.
The company uses the river water in the production of ammonium nitrate.
The company also reported it dumped nearly 8 million gallons of excess water back into the Nolichucky.
In a related development the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issue an amended permit to Yara North America, which occupies the same Midway site as US Nitrogen.
Under the permit Yara agrees to cap its production in any 12 month period to 72,000 tons. The permit also caps nitrous oxide emissions at 19.6 tons in any 12 month period or 4.5 pounds per hour.
The permit expires on Dec. 3, 2022.
Friday, December 11, 2020
US Nitrogen Assessed Emissions Fee
Tennessee environmental officials have billed a Greene County firm a $3,647 annual fee due to the volume of emissions from its Midway manfacturing facility.
The assessment, known technicaly as a Non Title V Emission Fee, is required from emission sources that have allowable emissions of less than 100 tons per year. The fee is set at $18.75 per ton of allowable emissions.
US Nitrogen became subject to the tax when it changed its license status in December of 2019 to conditional major operating permit.
The notice of the assessment was sent this week to Kim Ryans, a US Nitrogen environmental manager.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
The assessment, known technicaly as a Non Title V Emission Fee, is required from emission sources that have allowable emissions of less than 100 tons per year. The fee is set at $18.75 per ton of allowable emissions.
US Nitrogen became subject to the tax when it changed its license status in December of 2019 to conditional major operating permit.
The notice of the assessment was sent this week to Kim Ryans, a US Nitrogen environmental manager.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com
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