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Fire in dryer at Converted Organics plant
Woodbridge, N.J.-A small fire broke out April 27 at Converted Organics’ Woodbridge manufacturing facility when a piece of equipment related to the drying process of organic fertilizer malfunctioned. The company said no one was injured, and the building was immediately evacuated and the fire department called. There was no indication of the extent of the damage or if it will have any impact on production. The fire was easily contained and extinguished. Converted Organics, which produces fertilizer from food wastes, is currently working with an engineer from the equipment manufacturer to assess the extent of damage to the equipment, and will commence repairs as soon as possible. Operations have resumed throughout the rest of the plant.
Stimulus funds boost farm input loans
Washington-Oregon and Vermont farmers are the latest to benefit from low-cost loans to pay for fertilizer and other farm inputs and expenses made possible from funds available through the federal economic stimulus fund, which is officially called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. About $4.6 million in stimulus funds have backed loans for Oregon farmers and ranchers, according to Lynn Voigt, Oregon farm loan chief for USDA’s Farm Service Agency. He said because of the stimulus funds Oregon FSA was able to fund 57 direct operating loans for farmers in 15 different counties. The stimulus funds were used to fund loan requests already in the FSA’s oversubscribed operating loan pipeline, he said. About 53 percent of the loans went to beginning farmers who have been in production for less than ten years, Voigt said, adding that about $500,000 went to fund loans for farms operated by women and minorities. In Vermont, $1 million in stimulus funds is backing up to $6 million in low-interest financing. The Agricultural Credit Corp., an arm of the Vermont Economic Development Authority, is accepting applications for loans that may be used for this season’s operational costs or for financing or refinancing prior year’s operating costs. Loans are capped at $100,000 at a variable rate currently at 2 percent. Joe Bradley, the authority’s CEO, said the term for financing is generally two years or may be extended under certain circumstances. FSA spokesman Johnathan Groveman told Green Markets that in all, $173 million was allocated through the ARRA for direct operating loans to farmers in virtually every state. Immediately after this allocation, FSA began processing and approving applications, with over 2000 applicants across the United States receiving a share. “The full amount was distributed and producers have already started purchasing their needed supplies and equipment,” Groveman noted.
S.D. farmers get spring fertilizing break
Pierre-South Dakota farmers who have been struggling with fertilizing their fields because of unseasonably wet soil conditions are getting a break from the state. Gov. Mike Rounds has signed an executive order temporarily lifting transportation restrictions on over-width commercial applicators. The action by Rounds allows fertilizer applicators that don’t exceed 12 feet to operate during nighttime hours from April 22 until May 31. The temporary regulation change excludes the Memorial Day travel period ?Çô from sundown on Friday, May 22, through midnight on Monday, May 25. To legally operate during nighttime hours, fertilizer application vehicles must be equipped with flashing or rotating amber or white lights at the widest extremities of the vehicles. Rounds signed the order April 22, temporarily lifting the regulation to enable farmers to adequately fertilize fields.
CF recognized by BusinessWeek
Deerfield, Ill.-CF Industries Holdings Inc. has been recognized by BusinessWeek Magazine as one of the BusinessWeek 50, noting that CF achieved the second-best financial performance of all companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index over a 36-month period. The ranking tracked growth, return on capital, and other factors.
EPA extends review of Simplot cleanup plan
Boise-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to extend public review of a proposed plan to amend a Record of Decision (ROD) for the J.R. Simplot Co.’s Don phosphate fertilizer plant an additional 30 days, until May 15. The plant is part of the 2,475-acre Eastern Michaud Flats Superfund site west of Pocatello, where FMC also operated an elemental phosphorus plant until it was shut down in December 2001. A 1998 ROD is being amended to add phosphorus as a major contaminant of concern and require additional pollution source controls. It identified a number of contaminants of concern found in groundwater discharging into the nearby Portneuf River, including arsenic, boron, chromium, mercury, nickel, radium, vanadium, and zinc. It could cost Simplot an estimated $50 million in cleanup costs to comply. EPA says the action to amend the ROD is needed because it has been found that springs fed by the groundwater discharge the largest amount of phosphorus to the Portneuf River than any other single known source. It estimates water flows through a 320-acre gypsum stack behind Simplot’s Don Plant at about 1,000 gallons a minute and later reaches the Portneuf via springs and an underflow, causing overgrowth of algae and dissolving oxygen levels for fish and other aquatic life. The proposed plan may be viewed at the EPA web site at http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/cleanup.nsf/sites/emichaud/.
Sale of Madison site tied up in city rules
Madison, Wisc.-The point man on the sale of the property says Agrium Inc. is giving up on demolition of most of the structures to make the old Royster-Clark fertilizer plant more appealing because of the burdensome conditions imposed by the city to obtain a permit. Daren Couture, Agrium manager of asset recovery, told Green Markets, “Normally you would expect a permit to take 30 days. We’ve been working in Madison on getting approval to apply for six months. We got the approval Jan. 26 based on conditions we can’t meet.” Couture says one of the reasons for giving up on the demolition and instead seeking a buyer for the property is that one of the conditions for a demolition permit is having a plan for the property’s development, and Agrium isn’t the one who’s going to develop the property. Madison Planning Director Mark Olinger responded that the city doesn’t expect a full-blown development plan. “What they needed to do was make some effort on how they would handle post-demolition,” he insisted. “We didn’t want something in limbo which was left half removed and half still there as a serious health and safety issue. (Unfortunately) we haven’t heard about the larger issues from Agrium since the Jan. 26 planning commission meeting.” Couture believes someone could buy the property as it exists, but this remains as a deterrent because most potential buyers are in the development and not the demolition business. He says he’s been told by some of these potential buyers that removal of the structures would make the property more attractive. Agrium acquired the property with the rest of Royster-Clark’s business in June 2006 and operated the facility in Madison for a brief time until it was closed that September. A local reporter described the 27-acre site as a “fading yellow metal-sheathed monster distinguished by a five-story central tower, twin 10,000-ton storage domes, criss-crossing aerial conveyor belts and a sprawling main structure covering a chemical mixing pit that runs 16-feet deep, 100-feet wide and the length of a football field.” Madison planners see it as the future location of new office buildings, small businesses, stores and homes on one of the biggest remaining developable areas in Madison. A marketing study concluded that it could complicate the future of another residential and commercial development. Agrium says it has wanted to clear the property for several years, with safety being one of the reasons so as not to have youngsters playing in an unsafe place.
Gowan launches Vida Herbicide
Yuma, Ariz.-Gowan Company LLC has launched Vida Herbicide under a marketing agreement with Nichino America Inc. Vida contains the active ingredient pyraflufen-ethyl, and is a broadleaf herbicide currently registered for use in burndown, post emerge corn, soybeans, wheat, and potato desiccation segments. Gowan is marketing Vida Herbicide in the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeastern U.S. regions. The company said there is minimal soil residual with Vida Herbicide, allowing for favorable plant back intervals when used as a burndown treatment prior to planting.
Five new cereals herbicides available from NuFarm
Burr Ridge, Ill.-Growers this spring have access to five new crop protection products from NuFarm Americas. Treaty TM, Treaty TM Extra, Rapport TM TankMix, Rapport TM BroadSpec, and Victory TM all use the active ingredients tribenuron and thifensulfuron, and offer broad-spectrum weed control in cereals, including wheat, barley, oats, and triticale. “This extensive portfolio of new herbicides demonstrates the commitment of Nufarm to provide its customers with better choices to help them make better business decisions,” said Randy Canady, executive vice president of marketing and operations for Nufarm. “While Nufarm is better known for phenoxy and glyphosate products, we have many years of experience in worldwide sourcing, formulation and delivery of sulfonylurea herbicides.”
Management Briefs
The Mosaic Co. has announced the election of David Seaton to its board of directors. He serves as senior group president of Fluor Corp.’s energy & chemicals, power, and government business groups. In addition, he is responsible for Fluor’s activities in China and the Mideast. Fluor, headquartered in Irving, Texas, is one of the world’s leading engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management companies. Fluor has over 41,000 employees and has offices in over 25 countries.
Seaton, who will serve on the audit committee, holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina. He completed the Advance Management Program at Wharton School of Business, as well as Thunderbird University’s International Management Program.
Melissa Endres was promoted to operations manager at American Fertilizer Exchange of Tampa. Endres was hired as office manager in November. Her duties include order processing, as well as other responsibilities. Her office number is 813-689-4894.