Owensboro, Ky.-Miles Farm Supply LLC is in the process of building a new 42,000 st river/unit train terminal on the Ohio River, just west of their existing river terminal in Owensboro. Miles says the state-of-the-art building will consist of nine storage bays for MOP, urea, DAP, TSP, MAP, SOP, and various micronutrients. The new building will more than double current dry storage capacity, plus create the ability to ship blended product from the river. “We are very excited about the increased efficiencies this new facility will provide for us, our customers and partners both now and in the future,” said Debra Seymour, Miles Farm Supply president. “The river, truck and rail access will provide multiple options for product distribution and the expansion will also improve product availability. We have been very pleased with Stueve Construction in building the building and believe the Yargus equipment is state of the art.” The project is expected to be completed by mid-February, just in time for peak demand, with intentions of an open house in July.
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UAP gains nod for Kansas anhydrous facility
McPherson, Kan.-United Agri Products (UAP) of Galva, now a part of Agrium Inc.’s Crop Production Services, has received a special use permit with some conditions attached for an anhydrous ammonia commercial storage and sale facility in Jackson Township. The McPherson County Commission gave its go-ahead late last month, but is requiring a six-foot chain-link fence with barbed wire and security lighting to be built around the facility to prevent theft attempts. The commission adopted the requirements on the recommendation of the county sheriff’s office, which is having difficulty stopping those who steal ammonia to produce methamphetimine. “Our officers check sites two or three times a night to make sure tanks have not been left on. They usually see us driving up and leave before we get there,” one deputy reported. The deputy said there has been a decline in the meth problem since the law now requires over-the-counter drugs containing ephedrine, another key ingredient in meth, to be kept behind the counter, and allows sales only to purchasers who register. The UAP ammonia facility, the first of nine in McPherson County to be required to install the additional security, will have one 18,000 gallon tank and two 12,000 gallon tanks, for a 42,000 gallon total capacity.
Ammonia leak routs hundreds in Illinois
White Hall, Ill.-As much as 20 percent of this small Greene County community of less than 2,500 was evacuated during an anhydrous ammonia tank incident late the evening of Nov. 28, according to authorities. White Hall Police Chief Rob McMillen told Green Markets that an accidental release while a farmer was fertilizing his field touched off the alarm, which ended up routing up to 500 of those living only 100 yards away in 100 of the nearby homes. McMillen said most of those made their own way to city hall only a half mile away; when fumes spread to that location, they were moved later to a rural health clinic. He said the second move was deemed necessary when a light wind blowing from the southeast brought the fumes into the city hall area. Several in the group were brought in by EMTs complaining of breathing difficulties and were treated with oxygen, he reported. Two or three who needed additional treatment were taken to a clinic. McMillen said the cause of the ammonia leak was first thought to be a broken hose, but that was ruled out; fire department and county agriculture investigators are now looking at a malfunction in one of the connections. “Fortunately,” he added, “the farmer who was fertilizing a field that had just been harvested was able to outrun the fumes and was not injured.” Emergency responders kept their distance from the leaking tank because as volunteers they didn’t have the training or equipment to deal with the situation, McMillen reported. After the tank emptied itself it was hauled away by the owner, TriCounty FS.
TFI, USDA warn about Chinese zinc products
Washington-The USDA has alerted The Fertilizer Institute and the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) about incidents involving Chinese companies selling cadmium-contaminated zinc fertilizers and feeds. These have a cadmium:zinc ratio up to 0.5 percent, which is nearly as much cadmium as zinc in the product as shipped. TFI has sent a memo to its members warning about this development, and said such extreme contamination strongly suggests that these companies are dumping their hazardous cadmium wastes into product rather than disposing of them properly. TFI said this high rate of contamination means that if normal zinc rates are applied, the cadmium is enough to cause crops to contain excessive cadmium and the soil to require remediation. High cadmium content in produce can lead to kidney and liver problems in particular. TFI said it is urging companies purchasing fertilizers to specify contractually that the product not only meets nutrient specifications, but also the appropriate regulatory or AAPFCO standards for metals. USDA said it has so far found evidence of Chinese cadmium contamination in France, Belgium, Norway, Australia, Kenya, and South Africa. So far, this rash of contamination has not been found in the U.S.; however, industry sources are fearful that may happen as the U.S. imports zinc products from China. TFI noted that in 2006, the most recent year with available statistics, the U.S. imported 44,443 mt of zinc sulfate. Of that, some 24,028 mt came from China. Industry sources fear that due to the economic crisis even more may come to the U.S. in 2008. Sources put the U.S. zinc sulfate market at about 120,000 st, with the product going heavily to corn and rice.
MCC/EuroChem increases stake in K+S
Kassel, Germany-MCC Holding Ltd., Cyprus, including OJSC MCC EuroChem, Moscow, has increased its stake in K+S Aktiengesellschaft, Kassel, from 10.43 percent to 15.001 percent. MCC manages industrial holdings of Andrei Melnichenko on a fiduciary basis and has always emphasized that it regards its investment in K+S as a financial investment. Now that MCC has exceeded the 15 percent threshold, K+S says it perceives MCC as a strategic investor. K+S says this step underscores that MCC is convinced of the medium- and long-term prospects of the company, even in the currently volatile financial market environment. K+S is one of the world’s leading suppliers of specialty and standard fertilizers and plant care, as well as salt products.
Rhodia to aid Chemtrade during Beaumont repairs
Toronto-Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund said Dec. 2 that it has entered into an agreement with Rhodia Inc. for spent acid regeneration services to cover the Beaumont plant startup period. The agreement provides further assurance to Chemtrade’s customers that Chemtrade will continue to deliver critical spent acid regeneration services while the repairs and startup of its Beaumont plant are being completed. The Beaumont plant has been offline and undergoing repairs since an explosion in August 2008. Under the agreement, Rhodia will make processing available to Chemtrade for all of the spent acid regeneration business that Chemtrade would normally process at its Beaumont facility. The arrangement commences at the end of December 2008 and will continue into mid-February 2009. “Chemtrade continues to believe that the Beaumont repairs will be completed by the end of the year and the plant restarted at that time,” said Mark Davis, Chemtrade president and CEO. “However, we are also cognizant of the critical nature of the services we supply to our regen customers. Despite the fact that our repairs are well advanced, we entered into this agreement as additional protection and to further assure our customers that their core operations will not be adversely affected.” Chemtrade is one of the world’s largest suppliers of sulfuric acid, liquid sulfur dioxide, and sodium hydrosulphite, and a leading processor of spent acid. Chemtrade is also a leading regional supplier of sulfur, sodium chlorate, phosphorous pentasulphide, and zinc oxide.
Agrotain ready for European Union
St. Louis-Agrotain International reports that effective Nov. 28, final registration procedures were completed to clear the way for use of its AGROTAIN® technology in all 27 member states of the European Union. As early as the 2009 growing season, Agrotain technology will be available in select countries of the EU-27 in AMIPLUS fertilizer from Yara International. The company says AMIPLUS could have an important role for growers of maize, wheat, rice, pasture, and other agricultural crops. Agrotain is a nitrogen stabilizer that reduces volatilization and creates opportunities for increased crop productivity by preventing nitrogen losses. The technology helps growers gain the most from their fertilizer investment by controlling volatilization of urea and UAN fertilizers. The 27 EU countries join a roster of more than 70 countries that now have access to Agrotain.
Bunge, Yara developing their Brazil assets
Brasilia-Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes was again being quoted in the local media last week as saying Brazil will confiscate undeveloped fertilizer deposits in the country. Stephanes did not identify the deposits or their owners. Brazil, which is a major fertilizer importer, hopes to be self-sufficient by 2010. Yara International ASA and Bunge Ltd., both with fertilizer deposits in Brazil, told Green Markets last week that they believe the government is well informed about their own development plans in the country, as well as their timelines for development. Bunge noted in particular that it announced in May that it would spend some R$3.2 billion on four new projects to enhance phosphate supply. It said some 3.5 million mt of phos rock would be made available to the local market, representing 30 percent of current demand. New Bunge projects are slated to come online between 2009-2011.
Uralkali likelihood of fine diminished
Moscow-Russian Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev has been quoted as saying that Uralkali’s mine flood was due to natural causes. As a result, Goldman Sachs has told investors that this indicates that the company may not have to pay a major fine and it is positive news for the company’s stock. It says Trutnev’s views may be reflected by the upcoming report of the committee that is investigating the mine flooding, which occurred a few years ago.
PotashCorp cited due to September accident
Saskatoon-PotashCorp has been cited as contravening six health and safety regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act due to a jeep accident that killed Robert Tkach at the Lanigan mine back in September (GM Sept. 15, p. 10). Among those items identified were lack of training, a failure to mark hazards, and seat belt use. PotashCorp said safety is its number one priority and that it will fully comply with the regulations.