Buckeye, Ariz. — Local fire crews, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and other state authorities responded to a Fertizona location here Jan. 4 when a noticeable ammonia odor was reported in the area. Although the local area was evacuated and traffic rerouted, emergency responders discovered the likely source of the odor was not at the Fertizona site, but nearby from a small spill of water containing ammonium hydroxide (aqua ammonia). It appeared unknown persons, not connected with Fertizona, had discharged a small amount of the product during the night. ADEQ confirmed that Fertizona and its ammonia storage facilities were not responsible for the odor and were functioning properly. “Fertizona is committed to responsibly handling all of our products to ensure the public’s safety,” said Tyrell Currie, Fertizona safety director. “We were confident that the source of today’s event wasn’t due to any Fertizona employees or equipment.” Fertizona, founded in 1980, sells various liquid and dry fertilizers and other crop inputs in Arizona and through its affiliate Compton Ag Services in California.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain