Pelletizing resumes at Quincy fertilizer plant

Quincy, Mass.-Fertilizer pellet production has resumed at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Deer Island water treatment plant for the first time since a smoldering fire in the ductwork shut down operations in late October. “We were able to start making pellets again on Dec. 8,” MWRA spokeswoman Ria Convery told Green Markets. Acting Quincy Fire Chief Joseph Barron told the local press that he had inspected the plant, and he was “satisfied now that they are committed to safety and fire safety at the plant.” Workers have been cleaning or replacing much of the ductwork where the fire started, Convery confirmed. She said the plant would operate at half-capacity until additional work is completed. Since the fire halted pellet production, MWRA has had to route sludge trucks to local landfills and at one point was considering shipping by railcars to a disposal site in Utah. “The good news is the operations are safe and we’re not going to have any more of the truck traffic,” City Councilor Daniel Raymondi was quoted as saying. New England Fertilizer Co., which handles the pelletizing and marketing, has agreed to install a sprinkler system in the duct work and replace certain pipes. It intends to reimburse the city for fire department expenses.