Nutrien Ltd., Saskatoon, is seeking a permit from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to allow it to release treated wastewater from its Geismar, La., complex into the Mississippi River.
The company previously reused the water during its phosphoric acid production process, however, it stopped making phos acid at the site in late 2018, leaving the water to remain in storage lakes.
The company fears that with Louisiana’s wet weather the lakes could eventually collapse, causing an uncontrolled release of the acid water. The company wants to treat the water and then release it.
In a statement, Nutrien said its PCS Geismar operations are in compliance with LDEQ regulations: “We are proud community members here in Louisiana and understand our responsibility to care for the environment and public health. This water permit from LDEQ allows us to continue to fulfill that responsibility by facilitating our completion of closure and treatment of water from our permanently shut down phosphoric acid operations and associated gypsum stacks, which will benefit the environment and community in which we operate and our employees live.”
Environmentalists have raised concerns about downstream use of the river for drinking water, as well as that nutrient content from the water could add to the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, according to The Baton Rouge Advocate.
A public hearing on the matter was held last month, and comments were submitted. LDEQ has given no timeline for a final decision.