Agrium faces Madison fine, but not in millions

Madison, Wisc.-Agrium Inc. won’t be facing millions of dollars in fines as reported in the local press for the condition of the abandoned Royster-Clark fertilizer plant the company has been trying to sell for over a year. According to a local paper, an October deadline passed and the maximum fine against Agrium grew to more than $4 million. In reality, city ordinances do allow for fines of between $1 and $1,000 per day per offense, City Building Inspection Director George Hank told Green Markets. “But those incredibly high figures were the result of the reporter doing the math for the maximum fines for the total number of days Agrium has not been in compliance.” He indicated the two parties are probably headed for court, where the judge will have the final say. “Will Agrium be required to pay in the millions?” he asked, and then answered, “Probably not. It’s really up to the judge to determine what that will be.” But Hank indicated that won’t be anytime soon, because Agrium has requested that prosecution be held off because “there’s something in the works.” An Agrium source also indicated the same thing, but he declined to elaborate. Hank reported that the city is concerned about an unsecured vacant building posing a public nuisance. He said the fence around the property is in bad shape, with a lot of openings inviting entry. “The large-scale fertilizer mixing building is slowly coming apart with large sections already blown off. High winds pose a threat to people walking in the area.” Agrium has had plans for demolition, but complained that city red tape takes months for just getting approval to apply for a permit, and then requires it be accompanied by a plan for redevelopment. “In order to tear a building down you have to go to the planning commission,” Hank explained, “and the commission has a deed restriction as to what the future developer plans to do with the property.”