Wever, Iowa — Orascom Construction Industries’s plans for a $1.4 billion fertilizer plant located here are online to get a green light, at least so far, according to a state regulator. Between 100-150 interested residents overflowed the meeting room in the local library earlier this month for the single public hearing on air quality permits, and most of them were in favor of the project. According to Chris Roling, senior environmental engineer in the air quality bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, those opposed were concerned about the nitric acid plant. “All the units at the plant will be required to install best available technology," Roling said. "Specifically, the nitric acid plant will have controls that as far as I know have not been installed in the U.S.” He explained that the plant will need an individual permit for each emission, adding up to about 23 separate permits. “I am currently going through all the comments. But as long as they meet all of the state and federal requirements, they will be issued the permits. I have not seen anything at this point that would stop the issuing of the permits.”
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain