The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 9 announced a settlement with J.R. Simplot Co. and its subsidiary, Simplot Phosphates LLC (Simplot), involving Simplot’s Rock Springs, Wyo., phosphate manufacturing facility.

 This settlement resolves allegations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at the facility, including that Simplot failed to properly identify and manage certain waste streams as hazardous wastes. The settlement requires Simplot to implement process modifications designed to enable greater recovery and reuse of phosphate, a valuable resource. The settlement also requires Simplot to ensure that financial resources will be available when the time comes for environmentally sound closure of the facility. 

This settlement also resolves alleged violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) for Simplot’s failure to report certain quantities of toxic chemicals in accordance with EPCRA standards. 

Under the settlement, Simplot agrees to implement specific waste management measures valued at nearly $20 million. The settlement also requires Simplot to immediately secure and maintain approximately $126 million in dedicated financing to ensure that funding for closure and long-term care will be available when the facility is eventually closed.

Simplot will also pay a $775,000 civil penalty to resolve both the RCRA and EPCRA claims. 

Third-quarter Tampa sulfur contracts have settled at $57.50/lt, up $3.50/lt from second-quarter pricing. Sources said both major buyers have now concluded business. Early week news had been that some, but not all contracts had been finalized.

MMTC shook up the market with a urea call July 9. The tender closes July 17 with shipment by Aug. 20. One trader said the fact MMTC called a tender that closes before shipment deadline for previous tender indicated how much India needs the extra urea. The government had earlier reported increased planting could lead to increased fertilizer demand.

“After overwhelming demand, Nutrien have closed their order book for UAN Fill and are now moving prices up by a minimum of $10-20/st across their producing locations,” according to a statement issued by the company late July 7. “The recent rally in corn prices has spurred strong demand across the Cornbelt.”

An uptick in Ag segment results helped boost CHS Inc.’s net income for the third-quarter ending May 31, 2020, to $97.6 million from the year-ago $54.6 million. Revenues were $7.2 billion, down from $8.5 billion.

Ag pretax earnings were $95.4 million, up from the year-ago $21.1 million. Improved margins and volumes across much of the Ag segment resulted from more favorable weather conditions for spring planting compared to third quarter of fiscal year 2019. Improved trade relations between the United States and foreign trading partners was also cited.

LSB Industries Inc., Oklahoma City, said July 6 that its Board of Directors has acted to implement a shareholders right agreement which is to reduce the likelihood of an ownership change by deterring any person or group of affiliated or associated persons from acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.9 percent or more of the outstanding common shares.

LSB said the purpose for the change is to preserve its net operating loss and other tax advantages. It said these are substantially limited if it experiences an ownership change.

Work on Talcher urea and coal gasification project, which was awarded to China’s Wuhuan Engineering Company Ltd. in September 2019, has been halted because of technical reasons, people aware of the development said, according to the Hindustan Times. The Chinese firm is unable to immediately mobilize technicians, equipment and workers at the site because of disruption in air connectivity amid the Covid-19 pandemic and visa issues, they added, requesting anonymity.

The recent India-China military standoff at the border may also have some indirect impact on the project, but it is too early to come to a definitive conclusion at this stage on the extent of the impact, the people cited above said.

Third-quarter Tampa sulfur contracts have reportedly been settling at $57.50/lt, up $3.50/lt from second-quarter pricing. However, not all new contracts have been concluded.

Yara International ASA’s Tringen I ammonia plant in Trinidad will go down in August for maintenance and will restart when market conditions improve. Originally, Yara had planned to take the plant down in early July, but cited “new opportunities for competitive export” in July, so it opted to defer the down time.

Yara permanently idled one Trinidad plant earlier this year. Nutrien Ltd. has two Trinidad ammonia plants that are temporarily idled.

Cooperative Producers Inc., Hastings, Neb., in partnership with Gavilon Fertilizer, on June 30 announced plans for the construction of a new liquid fertilizer plant next to CPI’s current dry fertilizer plant in Hastings. Construction is set to begin within the next month and is targeted for a March 15, 2021 completion. Full-service operation is anticipated by spring of 2021 with limited operations available sooner.

The liquid plant will have the capacity to house over 65,000 tons of liquid fertilizer and 525,000 gallons of bulk chemical.