The Dyno Nobel ammonia plant in Waggaman, La., is asking the state Department of Environmental Quality for permission to dramatically increase the amount of pollutants it can release into the atmosphere.
The Utah-based company, in submitting application to DEQ, notes mechanical issues with its refrigeration system and excessively hot weather have caused an “unanticipated increase in pressure” in its 35,000 metric-ton storage tank.
The DN request indicates that “failure to relieve pressure from the tank via flare may cause the tank to rupture” thus “posing a safety risk to both employees and the ge0neral public.”
The plant has the capacity to produce up to 800,000 metric tons of ammonia annually.
A DN spokesperson said the company will “continue to operate the plant safely" and that the requested variance is a “proactive measure.”
The firm has been working since February to resolve a “deficiency in the refrigeration system” for its ammonia storage tank.
The combination of these factors has caused an increase in ammonia vapor stored in the tank and an unanticipated increase in pressure within the storage,” DN wrote in its application.
Dyno Nobel’s existing permit allows it to operate its ammonia flare for up to 1,500 hours annually. The company is seeking a 5-month variance to increase that limit to 3,942 hours per year.
In its application, DN states that approval “will not result in the maintenance of a nuisance or cause any harm or risk to public health and safety.”
Kimberly Terrell, a research scientist at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, said there’s “nothing in that application to support that claim. ... We don’t have enough information at this point to say that there’s not a health effect."
Jefferson Parish Council member Deano Bonano called the application “concerning.”
Dyno Nobel has faced an onslaught of criticism in recent months after it admitted in March to building a $26M natural-gas powered boiler at Waggaman without obtaining the required permits.
A spokesperson for LDEQ said the variance request is currently under review. (NOLA.com 08/25/23)
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