Cranbury, N.J.-Specialty phosphate producer Innophos Holdings Inc. saw an increase in both revenues and losses for the second quarter ending June 30, 2007. Losses were $5.2 million on sales of $151.9 million, versus the year-ago loss of $1.8 million and sales of $139.3 million. One-time charges helped boost the losses, including $6.8 million of expenses related to the ending of an agency cancellation agreement with Rhodia Inc., as well as secondary offering preparation costs. There was also a $2 million charge for a tax settlement in Mexico. Six-month losses were $7.2 million on sales of $288.6 million, versus the year-ago loss of $3.1 million on sales of $269.6 million.
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Net profits up 66 percent at Noble
Singapore-The Noble Group reported a 66 percent increase in net profits for the six months ending June 30, 2007. Net profits were $99.5 million ($3.93 per diluted share) on sales of $10.06 billion, versus the year-ago $60 million ($2.42 per share) $6.14 billion, respectively.
Marsulex revenues up 19 percent
Toronto-Marsulex Inc. reported an 18.9 percent increase in revenues for the second quarter ending June 30, 2007, to C$77.3 million, up from the year-ago $65 million. Net earnings were up slightly, to $5.4 million from $5.3 million. Six-month net earnings were up 15.3 percent, to $6.8 million on sales of $145.8 million, versus the year-ago $5.9 million and $111.9 million, respectively.
EPA supports myRMP
Washington-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 14 notified The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) of its support for the Web-based myRMP program, developed cooperatively by TFI and the Asmark Institute to help agricultural retailers conduct required updates to risk management plans. EPA is recommending that retailers nationwide use myRMP. The program was launched Aug. 13 and is available for use by retailers across the country. “TFI has been a leader in retail RMP compliance assistance since EPA announced its rule, and we published a retail guidance document in 1998,” said TFI President Ford West. “We’ve had a nine-year track record on work on this rule and are pleased that EPA has recognized our industry’s work. The guidance will work to provide for more uniformity and consistency across the different regions of EPA.” myRMP was developed and launched in a Web-based format in the spring of 2006, with a special emphasis on education and personalizing the experience and materials to a specific facility. The program came as a result of EPA’s rule regarding the accident prevention provisions on the Clean Air Act of 1996, which requires facilities that handle anhydrous and aqua ammonia in threshold quantities to prepare a risk management plan (RMP). This plan consists of three major components: a hazard assessment, a prevention program, and an emergency response program in the event of a “worst case scenario” release of either product. “This new version of myRMP is very user-friendly and literally puts everything a retailer needs to effectively implement a RMP accident prevention program at their fingertips, all in one convenient suite,” said Asmark Institute President Allen Summers. “New technology was applied to further enhance several aspects of the new guidance tool, including the ability to personalize materials such as the written operating procedures.” EPA required a summary RMP to be submitted by June 21, 1999. A complete review and update is required every five years or whenever certain changes in the facility operation occur. The next five-year update will occur in June 2009, at which time it is expected that practically every retailer in the United States will access the new myRMP guidance for assistance with EPA’s requirements. There are approximately 14,000 RMP facilities in the United States, of which roughly 3,500 are considered to be agricultural retailers. EPA awarded Asmark a grant to make the necessary changes to myRMP to make it available to retailers nationwide. myRMP can be accessed via TFI’s Web site atwww.tfi.org and EPA’s Web site in the coming days.
ICL completes Supresta purchase
Tel Aviv-Israel Chemicals Ltd. has completed its acquisition of Supresta LLC, a leading manufacturer and marketer of phosphate-based flame retardants. Originally the phosphate chemicals unit of Akzo Nobel, the Dutch chemical company, Supresta was established in 2004 with the acquisition of its operations from Akzo Nobel by a portfolio company of Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a U.S.-based private equity firm. Today, Supresta employs more than 300 workers in two plants, one in the U.S. and one in Germany. It manufactures more than 80 phosphate-based products used in industrial applications. ICL intends to integrate Supresta into its ICL Industrial Products segment to realize synergies in operations, marketing, and the purchase of raw materials.
24,000 tank locks and counting in Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa-Nearly 24,000 anhydrous ammonia nurse tank locks installed with help of federal grants are reducing significantly the number of thefts for methamphetamine use, according to state law enforcement and agriculture interests. The Iowa drug policy office reported that where locks were installed, meth labs dropped even before sales of pseudoephedrine-based cold medicines were restricted. A 2006 survey by the Agribusiness Association of Iowa found that 95 percent of its members using locks said they were effective in preventing anhydrous ammonia thefts. According to the latest preliminary count from the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the number of reported meth labs in Iowa so far in 2007 represents an 89.6 percent reduction from 2004, when Iowa recorded 1,500 meth lab incidents. This year, Iowa is on course to record roughly 160 meth labs. “Iowa has been a national leader in combating the meth problem, and the Anti-Meth Tank Lock program is another example, based on a nearly 90 percent drop in meth labs and a tremendous reduction in fertilizer thefts,” said Lt. Governor Patty Judge, at a recent capitol ceremony marking the milestone. “Iowans are safer, thanks to the concerted efforts of agriculture retailers and sheriffs to lock down anhydrous ammonia nurse tanks at retail outlets in all 99 counties.” Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Gene Meyer added, “Indirectly, the Tank Lock program and related efforts are paying other dividends, too. A good portion of the drug enforcement resources that were taxed by the meth lab menace are now directed at the much larger foreign supply of meth that is smuggled into our state and our communities on a daily basis.”
Expo shows manure interest is growing
Prairie du Sac, Wisc.-ManureTech2007, billed as North America’s largest manure-only farm and educational show, is expected to draw 1,000 attendees to the USDA-Dairy Forage Research Center here this week (Aug. 21) as an indication of the rapidly growing interest in alternatives to the more expensive commercial fertilizer, according to one of the sponsors. Brandon Vogel, president of the Professional Nutrient Applicators Assn. of Wisconsin, told Green Markets that the show, which draws from three or four surrounding states and Canada, will see an increase of two or three hundred over last year in Michigan. Other sponsors include the University of Wisconsin Extension and the manure application industry. They’ll take their show to Ohio in 2008, and tentatively to Iowa in 2009. Vogel said his association applicators are pumping in the billions of gallons every year, while his company, which is only average size, handles up to 100 million gallons. “Our work has been steadily increasing the past five years,” he noted.
No climate credits for fertilizer as yet
West Des Moines, Iowa-The new subsidiary set up by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to help agriculture across the country realize a new source of income through carbon sequestering and credit exchanging won’t be dealing with fertilizer credits – at least for now. “It’s one area that’s currently under review,” according to Dave Miller, IFBF director of research, who will serve as science officer for the newly formed AgraGate Climate Credits Corp. “There’s interest in what type of credits could come out of efficiency in nitrogen use.” Miller said the protocol, which is yet to be established, would depend on finding ways to quantify the mitigation of NOX emissions. But that doesn’t mean AgraGate, which grew out of IFBF’s experience with carbon offsets aggregation starting in 2003, won’t have plenty to do helping farmers, ranchers, and other landowners deal with the rapidly growing climate credit exchange arena. Those connected with AgraGate will be helping with such carbon-sequestering practices as continuously no-tilled fields and newly established grasslands, rangeland that’s been committed to an improvement program, managed reforestation or new plantings on forested land, and on-farm methane digesters. David Lyons, IFBS chief business development officer, said it’s a win-win for all involved. “Farmers, ranchers and foresters get a financial benefit while they’re doing the right thing by their land,” Lyons declared.
Applicators face fine for using phosphate
West Milford, N.J.-The West Milford Town Council thinks the path to less phosphate getting into the area waterways leads to the fertilizer applicators. That’s why licenses to apply any fertilizer are being required of applicators, and spreading of phosphate is being banned with some exceptions. According to a town notice, copies of the ordinance and license applications have been mailed to area landscapers, who were put on notice that any business found to be operating without a license will be subject to penalties including a fine up to $2,000. Ken Hawkswell, the town’s health director, told Green Markets the ordinance was recommended by the environmental commission. “It’s difficult to regulate homeowners,” Hawkswell said. “So we are regulating commercial fertilizer applicators (and) it’s too early to evaluate any benefits.”
Algae water carpet produces organic compost
Ocala, Fla.-An algae carpet that is being put to work to clean phosphate and other fertilizer from an important waterway produces at the same time a high grade organic compost that could have a wide variety of uses on farms, in nurseries and home gardens, and in municipal parks and playgrounds. “Water quality officials are interested in getting growers to substitute the compost for commercial fertilizer being brought into critical watershed areas in the state,” according to Margaret Palmer, president of developer HydroMentia, which is demonstrating how the unique system can keep nutrients from flowing into Lake Okeechobee, one of the state’s most important water sources. With the Taylor Creek Algal Turf Scrubber, Palmer explained, the algae attaches itself to a 3 ½-acre heavy plastic liner as water is distributed in a thin flow across the membrane. The plants, which are the fastest growing in the aquatic family, take up the nutrients as they precipitate on the cells. The algae, containing nitrogen, phosphate, and a small amount of potash (approximately 2-1-1/2), is harvested every 7 to 21 days with a specially-designed rake and deposited on a concrete pad. “We haven’t accumulated sufficient amounts as yet to evaluate all the potential uses,” Palmer reported. She said several farmers already have indicated an interest. The technology was originated by a Smithsonian marine biologist, and HydroMentia expects to see large-scale water treatment applications as the demand continues to grow.