The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District says it will grant a request from Philip Metals that asks to modify its existing barge terminal permit.
Philip Metals had previously operated in the vicinity of what is now the Gateway Bridge and has been working to rebuild the operation since it recovered from bankruptcy in December.
Sitting on prime real estate in the downtown area, the city and East Nashville residents had hoped the scrap metal junkyard would relocate when it recovered from bankruptcy.
Because the business operates on the river it requires permits from the different agencies - Metro Water Services, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District.
Lisa Morris of the Nashville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Philip Metals has an existing federal permit for its barge terminal.
"We are fixing to modify it slightly to move it, to just shift the whole thing upstream just a little bit," Morris said.
Philip Metals General Manager Charlie Fay said the permits allow the business to primarily make barge shipments from its own property. Shipments had been made from a location directly behind the company's office building, but that ceased when the new bridge was constructed over the top of that facility.
"We requested these permits initially three years ago and then had to modify our plans a little," Fay said. "We have been using a commercial barge loading facility at the other end of town."
At the state level, TDEC spokesperson Amanda Sluss said her department has not received any recent requests from Philip Metals. The business has two existing permits with the state that don't expire until 2006 - one for storm water and an Aquatic Resources Alteration Permit that relates specifically to barge activity.
"If they alter their process in any way or alter their discharge in any way it is my assumption they will need to let us know about that, they will need approval on any major changes," Sluss said.
A local permit application filed by Philip Metals/PSC last week with Metro Water asking to connect to a sanitary sewer for runoff was denied. Nashville (Tennessee) City Paper