Vernon, Tex.-A long-term study by a Texas AgriLife Research economist using pig and beef manure on irrigated corn fields found that manure generates higher economic returns than anhydrous ammonia. Dr. Seong Park undertook the research to demonstrate that animal manure benefits producers by reducing both waste management costs and the need for chemical fertilizers because it contains multiple essential crop nutrients. Park said the key to animal manure transitioning from a cost for disposal to a benefit as a fertilizer is determined by agronomic and economic factors such as chemical fertilizer costs and the equipment and labor needed to apply each. The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) in Washington, D.C., didn’t respond to a request for comment. Park’s efforts found that anhydrous ammonia was the most costly nitrogen source across all three equivalent nitrogen rates of 50, 150, and 450 pounds of nitrogen per acre, with costs of $30.86, $54.88, and $126.95 per acre, respectively. Swine effluent had the lowest costs at $12.06, $17.98, and $34.51 per acre for the three application rates. The lower costs for the swine effluent are associated with the ability to apply it through existing irrigation equipment, requiring only minimal purchase to pump from the lagoon to the center pivot, Park said. Another study by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) at Mississippi State University found that chicken litter, a mixture of chicken manure and sawdust or other bedding material, is much more valuable as a fertilizer than previously thought. An ARS report noted that some cotton farmers in the Mississippi area are switching to chicken litter, while others are interested but reluctant without the cost comparisons, which are now available from the study by ARS Agronomist Haile Tewolde and his associates. They found that cotton yields peaked 12 percent higher compared to synthetic fertilizer yields, and came up with figures showing that chicken litter has a value of about $78 a ton compared to $61 a ton when figured by the traditional method.

New York-Under a multi-facet agreement announced June 30, Hunts Point residents will no longer have to put up with odors from New York Organic Fertilizer Co. (NYOFCo) processing sewage into biosolids. “This agreement ensures that the facility, which has plagued this community with its noxious odors for almost two decades, will not run as it is ever again,” said Al Huang, a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) attorney representing a South Bronx community group called Mothers on the Move. Huang noted that the legal settlement coincides with the last shipment of de-watered sewage sludge for processing by NYOFCo. The city also agreed to stop shipment of sewage sludge for at least two years, conduct an independent evaluation to establish if any odors are emanating from the Hunts Point sewage plant, require that any new sewage sludge processing facilities use best available odor control technology, and clean up an acre of waterfront green space for future community use. The settlement resolves claims against New York City and the Department of Environmental Protection, but those against NYOFCo remain outstanding and could be revived should the company’s facility ever resume operations. NYOFCo had been processing about half of the sewage sludge produced by the city’s 14 sewage treatment plants, which has been a long-time source of noxious odors in the Hunts Point neighborhood, the NRDC attorney pointed out.

Bloomington, Ill.-Agriculture interests had a significant role in developing new legislation signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn to prevent lawn care fertilizer and chemical runoff into the state’s waterways. Efforts by the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Assn. (IFCA) were aimed at assuring that the final language in this legislation was workable for the lawn care industry, according to IFCA Pres. Jean Payne. “The practices outlined in the legislation mirror the best management practices that the fertilizer industry has always endorsed and also provides important uniformity with regard to the regulation of lawn care applications,” Payne advised Green Markets. “Previously, local units of government could enact their own lawn care product ordinances, creating inconsistent regulations that were difficult for the industry to track from town to town, and difficult for local officials to enforce. This legislation provides a uniform statewide regulation that will be enforced by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.” Quinn signed the bill into law earlier this month. “It’s the duty of everyone to provide and maintain a healthy environment for this and future generations,” Quinn declared at a ceremony in Elgin along the Fox River. “This is all about clean water and making sure it’s available to everyone.” Under the bill, a lawn care service needs to establish a phosphorous deficiency before applying fertilizer on a residential lawn. In addition, fertilizers may not be applied to solid surfaces, and spills must be cleaned thoroughly. No fertilizer can be sprayed or applied by a rotary or drop spreader within three feet of a body of water or if the ground is saturated or frozen. The legislation passed the General Assembly unanimously on June 3 and takes effect immediately.

Atlanta, Ga.-Investigators have turned up a third well with contamination exceeding advisory limits in their search for perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) spread as the result of biosolids being used as fertilizer in at least three northwest Alabama counties. Since initially finding two private wells near land where the biosolids had been applied, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had Decatur Utilities, which operates the treatment plant where PFCs were uncovered, and a group of local industries obtain quarterly samples on wells up to one mile from the application sites. The second quarter final sampling report indicated that one of seven drinking water wells had PFCs above EPA’s provisional health advisory. That residence was quickly provided with bottled water and connected to the public water supply system by the utility and the industries. Their third sampling took place in May, with final results due this summer. In April the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, along with EPA, did blood tests of 155 volunteer residents in the Decatur area and will be sending out notifications toward the end of the year. According to EPA, industries in the Decatur area have made significant progress in reducing and preventing the release of PFCs by stopping their manufacture and phasing out their use, with the goal of eliminating or reducing the intake and output of these contaminates to levels that will not interfere with land application of biosolids. Meanwhile, voters in three affected counties in northwest Alabama counties have expressed their displeasure with using biosolids as fertilizer, adopting bans on the practice by margins as great as 88 percent. The amendment in Colbert County passed by 76 percent. Similar amendments were approved in Franklin County by 88 percent, and in Lawrence County by 77 percent.

Sharon Township, Ohio-The death of the 75-year-old owner of Linden Propane Inc. while he was driving a tanker truck with a load of anhydrous ammonia July 5 was described by his son as just a vehicular accident. Investigators said the mishap had nothing to do with the local protests over locating a 27,000 gallon ammonia tank in the community. Last month about 275 people attended a meeting at the local elementary school to air their concerns. Ironically, Linden died at the scene where he crashed on his way to make a delivery to the farm where that particular tank is located. The mishap caught the cab of the truck on fire and released a small amount of anhydrous ammonia from the tank. Still, authorities had 20 homes in the surrounding area evacuated for nearly 12 hours. Linden’s oldest son, John, who was at the scene, told Green Markets that there were only 2,700 gallons in the tank, not the 6,000 gallons contained in press reports, which were attributed to the fire department. The younger Linden, who helped take care of the minor leak, said the tank had a capacity of 6,000 gallons. “It was only a minor vapor leak, but the smell goes a long way,” Linden remarked. “It could have turned into something worse if we had knocked a valve off. There was also a minor propane leak.” Sharon Township Fire Chief Robert Haas told the local press the official cause of death has not been determined, but that the driver appears to have died on impact and was ejected from the cab of the vehicle. He said the truck appeared to roll off the road into trees in the front yard of a house. Temperatures in the high 90s that day forced emergency responders to use water on the tank to keep it cool while it was decided how to right the truck and unload the product. John Linden said that no arrangements have been made as yet for services for his father. He said in the meantime business at Linden Propane will go on as usual. Linden Propane is a LaGrange-based supplier of propane and anhydrous ammonia, although ammonia is a minor part of the business during the summer months.

Jacksonville, Fla.-A federal judge here issued a temporary restraining order on the permit approval The Mosaic Co. received from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that would have allowed it to begin work on its 10,000-plus acre expansion at its South Fort Meade Mine in Central Florida (GM July 5, p. 10). Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Manasota 88, and People for Protecting the Peace River, filed the action. The ruling questioned whether the Corps had made the company conduct enough research on the environmental impact of mining 534 acres of wetlands and 10 miles of streams and tributaries of the Peace River, a major source of drinking water in Southwest Florida. The mine was opened in 1995 in Polk County and produces about 6.6 million tons of phosphate rock annually. The expansion would move the mine southward into adjoining Hardee County.

Reno-Itronics Inc.’s board of directors has announced a 1 for 1,000 reverse split of its outstanding common stock, to be effective June 29, 2010. Prior to the split, there were approximately 3,186,845,941 common shares outstanding. After the split, there will be approximately 3,186,846 common shares outstanding.

Guelph, Ont., Canada-A new University of Guelph study cautions that consumers shouldn’t assume that organic is environmentally friendly. Actually, according to findings by Prof. Rebecca Hallett and her associates, some pesticides can have a higher environmental impact than their chemical counterparts because the organic product may require larger doses. According to Hallett, “It’s too simplistic to say that because it’s organic it’s better for the environment. Organic growers are permitted to use pesticides that are of natural origin, and in some cases, these organic pesticides can have higher environmental impacts than synthetic pesticides, often because they have to be used in large doses.” The study compared the environmental impact and effectiveness of six pesticides in killing soybean aphids, the main pest of soybean crops across North America. A mineral oil-based organic pesticide that smothers aphids and another product containing a fungus that infects and kills insects also were examined. The researchers used the environmental impact quotient, a database indicating impact of active ingredients based on such factors as leaching rate into soil, runoff, toxicity from skin exposure, consumer risk, toxicity to birds and fish, and duration of the chemical in the soil and on the plant. They also conducted field tests on how well each pesticide targeted aphids while leaving their predators – ladybugs and flower bugs -unharmed. “We found the mineral oil organic pesticide had the most impact on the environment because it works by smothering the aphids and therefore requires large amounts to be applied to the plants,” said Hallett.