Tampa-A new, energy-efficient office building recently constructed for The Mosaic Co. near Tampa, Fla., centralized many of its employees in Florida at a single location for the first time since the company was formed, according to David Townsend, Mosaic spokesman. The 113,000 square-foot building was built according to Gold LEED standards for energy efficiency, and makes use of direct natural light, water conservation, and thermal comfort. It was constructed by Ryan Companies U.S. using low volatile organic compounds (VOC) and recycled construction materials. Townsend said it was located in the “emerging town center of Fishhawk Ranch” area of Hillsborough County. “This brings 400 employees together from different locations in Hillsborough and Polk counties under one roof,” Townsend said. “It improves team building by bringing administrative personnel together with the supply chain group.” He added an application for LEED certification had been submitted.

Moscow-Potash giant Uralkali on May 27 confirmed that majority owner Madura Holding Ltd. is in preliminary discussions with a number of interested third parties regarding a possible sale of shares in the company. Uralkali said as far as it is aware, the discussions are at an early stage and there is no certainty about the terms and structure of such a transaction, or that an agreement will be reached. Major media outlets had reported that billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev is shopping around his majority stake in Uralkali to fellow billionaires.

Chesapeake, Va.-The principals are reluctant to provide any details about Allied Terminals’ $3 million lawsuit against the companies that did the welding repairs and upgrades and inspected the work on a storage tank that collapsed in late 2008, injuring two persons and inundating a nearby neighborhood with 2.1 million gallons of liquid fertilizer. Allied Terminals, joined by ACE American Insurance Co., has filed a 10-count lawsuit in circuit court against G&T Fabricators of Wilmington, N.C., and HMT Inc. of Texas, seeking to recoup the costs of lost fertilizer, property damage and clean-up, and interruptions to Allied’s business. A spokesman for the legal firm representing Allied, Vandeventer Black LLC, emailed, “At this time we have no comment or information regarding the case.” Calls to Allied official Bruce Law at the Chesapeake office were not returned. According to press reports, the suit seeks more than basic damages by asking that the defendants be required to cover or contribute to claims amounting in the millions of dollars filed against Allied and others over the spill. The lawsuits by two injured parties cite findings by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board that the tank wasn’t inspected properly after the repairs were performed.

Middletown, Ohio-The death of a Middletown maintenance worker, presumably from nitrogen leaks in gas lines, remains under investigation by officials with the city and the two companies involved. The tests by Middletown officials identified the source of the nitrogen leaks in lines running from Air Products & Chemicals to AK Steel’s Middletown works. Air Products spokesman Art George said the 250-foot lines are being excavated to find the leaks. Middleton firefighters tried to rescue the worker, identified as Jabin Lakes, who was doing a routine inspection of a sewer line when he died May 7. The Middleton Fire Department declined to answer questions, referring calls to City Attorney Les Landen, who did not respond to email inquiries. There also was no response from AK Steel at Middleton. Details on the kind of nitrogen involved were not available.

Spokane, Wash.-One of Washington state’s organic fertilizer producers has been fined $22,500 by the state for exceeding particulate matter and ammonia emissions limits, along with other air quality violations. Perfect Blend Organics, which claims to be a world leader in the research and development of organic soil fertility, processes chicken manure into organic soil fertilizer at its facility about 14 miles east of Othello. According to the Washington Department of Ecology, Perfect Blend failed to submit a complete air quality permit application by Dec. 15, 2008, and still does not have a completed application for a permit. In addition, tests conducted Sept. 16 and 17, 2009, showed the facility exceeded emissions limits. The company has 30 days to appeal the fine to the state’s pollution control hearings board in Olympia. Perfect Blend Organics touts a process “for the next generation of soil fertility products known as biotic fertility.” Its 4-4-2 All Purpose Biotic Plant Food and 8-4-2 Biotic Plant Food are carried by Lowe’s for turf and landscape use, organic producers, and personal gardening.

Moline, Ill.-Deere & Co. recently told analysts that it has had to increase its guidance for agricultural equipment sales in the U.S. and Canada, which are now forecasted to be up 5-10 percent for 2010. “That’s quite a change from our February forecast of comparable to 2009 and our November 2009 forecast of down about 10 percent,” said Susan Karlix, manager, investor communications. “We continue to see our order books strengthen, especially for large ag equipment. She said conditions in Western Europe still remain weak and sales are expected to be down 10-15 percent, while South America is another bright spot, with a 25 percent projected increase. Deere also expects to see a 5-10 percent increase in small utility tractors and turf equipment in the U.S. and Canada. Deere sales worldwide for ag and turf are expected to be up 9-11 percent over previous forecasts of 4-6 percent. For the second quarter ending April 30, 2010, Deere reported net income attributable to Deere & Co. of $547.5 million ($1.28 per share), up from the year-ago $472.3 million ($1.11 per share). Income would have been $677 million in the second quarter except for a $129.5 million charge due to the enactment of new health care legislation in the U.S.

Suffolk, Va.-The Hampton Roads Sanitation District and Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc. have completed installation of the second fully operational recovery facility – and the first along the Chesapeake Bay watershed – that extracts phosphorus and other nutrients from wastewater treatment systems and turns them into a high quality fertilizer. Unveiling of what is officially called the Struvite Recovery Facility took place May 27 at HRSD’s Nansemond treatment plant here, featuring environmentalist and attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is an Ostara board member. Developed by Ostara, this nutrient recovery technology, trademarked “Pearl,” enhances operational efficiency while producing a beneficial fertilizer product. HRSD will offset the cost by producing Crystal Green fertilizer, which will be marketed by Ostara. Ostara describes Crystal Green as a slow-release formula that ensures that nutrients are absorbed by plants, reducing fertilizer runoff and pollution of the Bay’s fragile ecosystem. The Ostara process has been operating at a commercial scale since May 2009 at the Clean Water Services’ Durham advanced wastewater treatment facility in Tigard, Ore., and is currently being pilot-tested at several wastewater treatment facilities in North America and Europe.