CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The AtlasBX battery facility in Clarksville has received three violation notices from state regulators in the past year, causing some changes within the company.
The Nashville-based company, which has changed its name to Hankook & Company ES America, began producing vehicle batteries in the Industrial Business Park on Aug. 27, 2020. Since then, the company has struggled to meet reporting requirements, according to documents acquired by Clarksville Now.
AtlasBX currently operates under temporary permit coverage provided by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation‘s Division of Air Pollution Control. The company submitted an operating permit application on May 20, 2021, and that is currently being processed.
Series of violations
TDEC sent the company a notice of violation letter on April 7, 2021, for failure to submit their 2020 Annual Major Compliance Report, and the company was ordered to submit the report by April 30. TDEC conducted an annual compliance inspection of the facility on June 10, 2021.
A second notice of violation was issued in May for not completing required stack testing in February 2021. TDEC said the testing has since been completed.
The third notice was issued in July for failure to maintain inspection and maintenance records, failure to record daily pressure drop measurements in the facility’s baghouse, failure to record scrubber liquor flow rates and pH measurements on wet scrubbers, and failure to conduct weekly visual inspections on mist eliminators.
According to TDEC, AtlasBX has complied with the corrective action timeline given to them by the state, has installed the required monitoring devices and is now maintaining the required records.
AtlasBX responds
Clarksville Now reached out to AtlasBX, who said many of the issues arose from the process of converting from a construction permit to an operating permit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hankook & Company ES America, formerly AtlasBX, is continuing to overcome many challenges while beginning operations during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Barry Reeves, Hankook & Company spokesman.
“With regards to the TDEC reports, Hankook & Company ES America takes environmental concerns very seriously and will continue to work closely with the Clarksville community, Tennessee Department of Environmental & Conservation and Industrial Development Board to resolve all concerns regarding the plant.”
As part of their response these issues, AtlasBX informed TDEC on April 28 that the company had hired a new EHS manager and retained the services of Stevens Environmental Consulting.
“We are closely working with TDEC, and these issues are being addressed,” Reeves said.
Air monitoring stations
When the plant was under development in 2018, the Montgomery County Commission, in response to public concerns about lead pollution in the air, installed three air monitoring stations on two sites in the Corporate Business Park South along International Boulevard.
This monitoring is being done by Stevens Environmental Consulting as well.
Reports obtained this year by Clarksville Now for January, February, March and April show that the air quality has remained within federal guidelines.
“The most recent results indicate that ambient air lead concentration at the site is within the EPA NAAQS limit,” each of the four reports state.
Chris Smith contributed to this report.