Deerfield, Ill.-CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has completed repairs and resumed full production at the No. 1 ammonia plant at its joint venture Medicine Hat Nitrogen Complex in Alberta. The plant, one of two at the complex, had been down since late in February, when damage to internal components was discovered following a brief maintenance outage. The No. 2 ammonia plant there was not affected and has continued operations. Repairs were completed in early March, and start-up procedures began March 13. The ammonia plant began production March 14 and ramped up to capacity operation that weekend. CF has a 66 percent economic interest in the Medicine Hat complex and receives approximately 66 percent of the complex’s output.
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Canada restricts ammonium nitrate, other chemicals
Ottawa-The fertilizer industry in Canada supports new federal restrictions on the sale of ammonium nitrate and eight other chemicals, according to the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI). The regulations were announced March 20 by Natural Resources Canada and also include nitromethane, hydrogen peroxide, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, potassium chlorate, sodium chlorate, and potassium perchlorate, some of which are used to make fertilizer or as fertilizer itself. Anyone who sells the listed materials must be registered with the Explosives Regulatory Division and comply with security measures for storage, record keeping, and customer identification starting June 1 for ammonium nitrate and March 1, 2009, for the other restricted chemicals. “Our government believes that new controls on explosives precursors are necessary to reduce the risk of terrorist acts,” said Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day. “This list of chemicals was drawn up on the basis of expert scientific and security analyses and includes chemicals that pose the greatest risk, and therefore, require regulatory control.” CFI President Roger Larsen responded, “CFI has worked in close cooperation with the explosives branch of Natural Resources Canada on the development of the new regulations while at the same time implementing an industry code of practice for the safe storage and handling of ammonium nitrate. We encourage everyone involved in the agriculture industry to be in full compliance well before the regulations start coming into effect on June 1. Security is everyone’s business. Fertilizer companies have been essentially in compliance for a number of years under the voluntary code of practice. These regulations will strengthen our code and are consistent with security measures in other countries.” Larsen noted that ammonium nitrate is the only one of the materials commonly used as a fertilizer and is the most significant part of the regulations. Along with Natural Resources Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the industry implemented the code for secure storage, transportation, and sale of this fertilizer more than two years ago. CFI and agri-retailers have distributed thousands of copies of a brochure and poster to educate stakeholders on these measures as part of the On Guard for Canada program, stressing the need for security, maintaining sales records, and alerting law enforcement of suspicious activity by using a toll-free RCMP hotline, 1-800-387-0020. The government will provide registration and annual reporting procedures and services, and will undertake outreach activities to raise awareness of the regulations with both sellers and end-users. NRCan will work in partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to undertake compliance inspections for ammonium nitrate utilizing the cross-country network of CFIA inspectors.
No problems seen with Canada edict on ammonia
Washington, D.C.-The fertilizer industry anticipates no problems with trans border shipments because of Canada’s reclassifying anhydrous ammonia from a non-toxic non-flammable gas to a toxic gas, according to The Fertilizer Institute. “The changes in the Canadian regulations do not affect the trans border movement of ammonia,” TFI spokeswoman Kathy Mathers informed Green Markets. “For shipments from Canada, either Canadian placard is recognized under the reciprocity provisions of Department of Transportation regulations. The reciprocity provisions have existed for many years and were recently reaffirmed in a final rule issued by DOT on May 3, 2007.” Mathers added that shipments into Canada must display one of the Canadian placards and not the U.S. 2.2 placard. David MacKay, executive director of the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers (CAAR), said there has been a fair amount of border crossing in the past with ammonia tanks, and he expects to see additional traffic this spring. “Any vessel when entering must comply with Canada’s safety laws,” McKay emphasized. CAAR and the rest of the Canadian fertilizer industry were full participants and supported the process that led to the reclassification made in the interest of public safety by the Ministry of Transportation and published Feb. 20. The ministry explained that the new regulations are consistent with current international and Canadian standards and coincide with United Nations recommendations on transporting dangerous goods. David Finlayson, CFI vice president for science and risk management, said the fertilizer industry “worked hard over the last several years to achieve the final amendment, which in technical terms changes the classification from a 2.2 compressed gas to a 2.3 toxic gas.” MacKay added that CAAR was consulted and his members “are comfortable living with the designation.” Both Finlayson and MacKay noted that because of the industry efforts the skull and crossbones signs will not be required on nurse tanks, trucks, and railcars. Instead, a white placard will be used with black letters reading “anhydrous ammonia under pressure ?Çô toxic.” MacKay said the skull and crossbones “would suggest unwarranted fear,” while the white placard is “much more specific and accurate as to the danger involved.” The new classification takes effect immediately, he said, but industry has until Aug. 30 to comply.
Ammonia scare routs 1,000 in Cargill fire
Boonville, Ark.-At least 1,000 residents in a five mile radius – 25 percent or more of the town’s total population – were evacuated because of concerns over the release of 40,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia during the fire and explosion that ravaged the Cargill meat-packing plant here March 23., county emergency response officials confirmed. Their spokeswoman, Nita Roper, told Green Markets that some of the residents were out of their homes until late on March 24, when a hazardous materials team was sent into the smoldering plant by Cargill to drain the plant refrigeration system. Roper reported that both EPA and state air quality monitors had detected no outdoor signs of the ammonia. Two tanks with 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide were found blackened but intact. Most of those who had to leave their homes went to stay with friends or family. A shelter was set up in a local church and then later at the senior citizen center, but other arrangements had to be made for 80 individuals from a nursing home and another 15 from an assisted living location, some of whom were transported in ambulances. Cargill spokesman Mark Klein said certified technicians drained 22,000 of the 40,000 pounds of ammonia into a tanker truck for re-use later. Most of the remainder probably stayed in the system, with piping from the tanks running all throughout the plant. Fire was still smoldering early in the week at the plant, which employs about 800 as an economic lifeline in this community. Klein said the operations are closed Sundays, but about 20 contractors and a few other employees were at the site at the time of the fire. According to some reports it was not a total loss, with one addition, built at a cost of $10 million, suffering little damage. Company officials are expected to be on the scene shortly to assess the situation, and there was no word as yet on rebuilding.
MagMinerals gets 25 year license in Congo
Toronto-MagMinerals Inc. reported March 25 that it has been granted a 25 year mining license from the Republic of Congo for its recently announced Kouilou potash mine. MagMinerals intends to build, own, and operate a stand-alone 1.2 million mt/y potash mine and plant, 16 kilometers east of the Atlantic port city of Pointe-Noire, West Africa’s best deep-water port.
ICL commits to natural gas
Tel-Aviv-Israel Chemicals Ltd. said March 25 that it has signed an agreement with Yam Tethys Partners setting the terms under which it will purchase approximately 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to be supplied through 2015 (with adjustments). This quantity is based upon the company’s projected needs through 2015, including the manufacturing capacity expansion called for in its multi-year strategic plan. The total value of the deal is estimated to range from $260-$330 million, depending primarily upon the price of fuel oil and the exact quantity and rate of the company’s natural gas consumption. The conversion of most of ICL’s Israel operations to natural gas is expected to give rise to cost savings of more than $100 million per year. ICL, which is ready to discontinue the usage of fuel oil and gasoline in a large proportion of its manufacturing facilities, is becoming Israel’s first major corporation to convert to natural gas.
Growmark reduces stake in Mexican feed company
Bloomington, Ill.-Growmark Inc. is reducing its stake in maltaCleyton, a Mexican feed company. Growmark has owned as much as 50 percent of maltaCleyton since 1996 through a wholly-owned subsidiary and will retain 10 percent ownership interest in the business. The management staff of maltaCleyton will retain 20 percent of the ownership. Evialis, St. Nolff, France, has agreed to purchase 70 percent of maltaCleyton. “The GROWMARK System of agricultural cooperatives has had a very positive and productive business venture with maltaCleyton for 12 years,” said Bill Davisson, Growmark CEO. “We look forward to continuing our investment in this well-run organization, but are pleased to welcome Evialis’ involvement as the primary investor.”
Scientists find way to remove excess P from litter
Florence, S.C.-Agriculture Research Service (ARS) soil scientists have found an effective way to remove the excess phosphorus in poultry manure, which would eliminate the drawbacks to using litter as a fertilizer and turns the phosphorus into a reusable or marketable product. According to ARS, the method, dubbed “Quick Wash,” provides a rapid removal and recovery that removes the phosphorus while leaving the nitrogen. The washed poultry litter can be safely applied to farm fields as a balanced fertilizer or used again as a bedding material. It can also serve as a feedstock for bioenergy production. ARS points out that poultry litter is plentiful in some areas, where 8.9 billion broilers were produced in 2006, along with piles and piles of residual litter rich in phosphorus and nitrogen Although poultry litter is typically used by farmers to fertilize their field crops, it usually contains more phosphorus than the crops need. The excess phosphorus has the potential to wash away and pollute nearby rivers and lakes. ARS is disclosing only that the process selectively removes 80 percent of the phosphorus from poultry litter while leaving the nitrogen. The scientists making the discovery were identified as Ariel Szogi, Matias Vanotti, and Patrick Hunt. ARS has already applied for a patent on the process and is interested in finding business partners to move the product to market.
CFI council urges responsible fertilizer use
Ottawa, Ontario-The Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI) has established an Urban Fertilizer Council to communicate the importance of responsible nutrient use to companies that supply lawn and garden fertilizers. CFI’s website emphasizes that effective use of fertilizers for lawn and garden care needs to be proactively communicated to the media and urban consumers, and that municipal officials need to know the facts about fertilizers and ways that homeowners can use fertilizer while at the same time protecting lakes and rivers. For starters, CFI suggests getting gardeners to carefully follow the directions on fertilizer bags to reduce the impact on the environment. Information is also provided in other areas, such as contributions of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface and groundwater from a Kentucky Bluegrass lawn; determining nutrient loading rates; fertilizer source effect on ground and surface water; healthy turf development through responsible application; limiting lawn fertilizers; mowing practices that reduce runoff from turf; phosphorus runoff losses from lawns; responsible fertilizer practices for lawns; and University of Nebraska-Lincoln environmental concerns.
Minemakers raises A$11.55 M for phos project
West Perth, WA, Australia-Minemakers Ltd. reports that BBY Ltd. has placed 7.7 million ordinary shares in Minemakers to investors. The placement, at a price of A$1.50 per share, was oversubscribed and raised $11.55 million. The investors include offshore and domestic institutional funds and high-net-worth clients of BBY. The funds will be used for pre-feasibility and feasibility studies of the Wonarah rock phosphate project, as well as purchase of long lead-time capital items for Wonarah. Other uses for the funding include other non-phosphate studies for separate fluorite, tungsten, tin, and iron magnetite projects, as well as working capital.