Enterprise South Industrial Park facts for kids

The Enterprise South Industrial Park is a huge area in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's about 6,000 acres big! This park used to be a special factory called the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant. The United States Department of Defense ran it. Today, a big part of this land is home to the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant and other businesses.

History of the Park

This park has a long and interesting history. For many years, it was known as the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant, or VAAP for short. From 1942 to 1977, this factory made TNT, which is an explosive used in wars. It also helped make fertilizer from 1962 to 1982.

Building for World War II

The United States Army Corps of Engineers built the first parts of the factory. Their goal was to make ammunition for the Allied Forces during World War II. The factory started working in July 1942. The Hercules Powder Company helped run it.

They had 16 lines to make TNT. They also had facilities for making nitric acid and sulfuric acid. These operations continued until August 1945. About 823 million pounds of TNT were made here for World War II.

After the war, from 1946 to 1952, the VAAP was on standby. The government kept it ready for use.

Reactivation for the Korean War

The VAAP was started up again in 1952 for the Korean War. Atlas Chemical Industries ran the factory this time. They made about 283 million pounds of TNT for the Korean War.

During this time, the Army started looking into ways to control pollution. However, the factory went back to standby status before these plans could be put into action.

Standby and New Neighbors

The VAAP was on standby from 1957 until 1965. Then, it was reactivated for the Vietnam War. Between the Korean and Vietnam Wars, many homes were built near the VAAP and Chickamauga Lake.

During this standby period, different companies watched over the plant. In 1961, the government leased part of the land to Farmers Chemical Association Inc. (later known as CF Industries, or CFI). This area had been used to make acids.

In 1962, CFI used the existing acid facilities. They also built a new plant to make ammonium nitrate fertilizer and other products. By 1963, they had a new plant for urea, which doubled their production.

Making TNT for the Vietnam War

In 1965, the VAAP was reactivated again. Ten TNT production lines were used to make TNT for the Vietnam War.

The Army also took back some land from CFI. They wanted to make more nitric acid. So, in 1966, CFI built a new acid plant next to their ammonia plant. They also ran the old acid plant for the Army.

Over time, the factory upgraded its facilities. From 1971 to 1975, six new, modern production lines were built. However, only one of these new lines was fully used. The plant stopped operations before the others could start.

In 1970, the Army began building a "New Acid Area." This area included facilities for making different types of acids. In 1972, a carbon dioxide plant was built. They also built a system to clean and reuse wastewater.

By January 1975, all the old TNT production lines stopped. In 1977, TNT production at VAAP ended completely. The plant was then put on inactive status. A total of 1,765 million pounds of TNT were made for the Vietnam War.

Changes in the 1980s and 1990s

CFI continued to make fertilizer until 1982. From 1982 to 1985, their area was inactive. Their facilities were taken apart for salvage between 1985 and 1986. The Army's acid facilities were also taken apart over time.

In the 1990s, the VAAP continued to operate a "burning ground." This was used to treat materials that were contaminated with TNT waste.

In 1995, there were plans to restart one of the TNT lines to make commercial TNT. This project was never finished, and the contract ended in 1998. The project remained inactive.

Redevelopment and Civilian Uses

In the 1990s, parts of the VAAP site began to be used for civilian purposes. A road called Hickory Valley Road was built through the facility. It connected SR 58 with SR 317. The Hamilton County Schools also leased the old administration buildings. They fixed them up for their main office.

More efforts were made to turn the site into an industrial park. In 2006, the Tennessee Department of Transportation built a new exit on Interstate 75. They also built a road leading into the park.

In July 2008, Volkswagen announced that they would build an assembly plant in the park. The Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant started operations in April 2011.

Enterprise South Nature Park

An additional 2,800 acres of land on the east side of the park became the Enterprise South Nature Park. This park opened to the public in December 2010. It's a place for quiet activities like bicycling and walking. The land for the nature park was originally used to store explosives. Many of the old storage bunkers are still there.

Rail Service

On October 14, 2010, it was announced that CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway would serve the site again. A $6.6 million project was completed to provide dual rail service to the Volkswagen plant. The new rail yard was dedicated on April 6, 2011. This work included "the biggest rail overhaul" in the area since World War II.

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's company, Tyner Terminal Railway Company, handles the direct train switching. They transfer railcars to NS and CSX trains.