Paterson, N.J.-A wall of a two-story building undergoing renovation next door to Harvest Lawn Care collapsed at mid-day Sept. 8, causing no injuries but forcing the precautionary emptying of a 1,500-gallon fertilizer tank containing liquid nitrogen. Paterson City Fire Deputy Chief John Duffy told Green Markets the fertilizer posed no danger to nearby residents, but the decision to empty the tank was made because of the severe damage to the building’s roof. He said tank contents were transferred over several hours into three tanker trucks, adding that he doubted there would be any product loss. Duffy said that heavy debris from the building cave-in may have damaged roof rafters beyond repair and has put the fertilizer plant temporarily out of business. He said inspection of the rafters indicates the roof may have to be replaced. City firefighters arriving on the scene were told by construction workers at the collapsed building that no one was trapped in the rubble. The building owner had received city planning board permission to convert an old mill into condominiums. Harvest Lawn Care owner Donald Foster told the local press he was in the office doing inventory when he heard a loud boom. “I thought a plane was coming through the building,” Foster said. “It was tremendous. I started to scream, ‘You guys OK?’, but I didn’t hear any response.” When he went outside he found the workers standing there unhurt. The company provides turf maintenance and treatment, tree and scrub services, and commercial lawn care in New Jersey and New York.

Washington, D.C.-Millions of acres of farmland in developing countries – primarily in Asia, but also in sub-Saharan Africa and in many Latin American cities – use untreated or partially treated wastewater for irrigation and fertilization, according to a survey by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) published by the online National Geographic. “Irrigating with wastewater isn’t a rare practice limited to a few of the poorest countries,” said Liqa Raschid-Sally, IWMI researcher and lead author of a report on survey results. “It’s a widespread phenomenon, occurring on 20 million hectares across the developing world, especially in Asian countries.” The report points out that wastewater use is critical to farmers’ incomes and urban food security, but raises health concerns. In over 70 percent of the 53 cities studied, more than half of urban agricultural land is irrigated with wastewater that is either raw or diluted in streams. The report stated that the most common use is for vegetables and cereals, which raises concerns about health risks, particularly vegetables that are consumed uncooked. On the other hand, wastewater agriculture was found to contribute importantly to urban food supplies and to help provide a livelihood for the urban poor, especially women and recent migrants from the countryside. The survey concluded that the widespread practice is virtually inevitable where developing countries lack suitable transportation to deliver large quantities of perishable produce to urban areas, and because of widespread water shortages and lack of access to clean water in most areas.