Yellowknife, NWT-Northwest Territories environmental officials and transport operators are confident that a large amount of ammonium nitrate prill was fully cleaned up after being spilled in a collision last month on Highway 3 near the Alberta border. The collision, which reportedly involved an Edge Transportation Services transport carrying the prill and a parked truck, occurred Feb. 27. Press reports said that 22 tons were dumped onto the highway when a trailer was ripped open by the collision. Edge Transportation General Manager Terry Siemens told Green Markets the carrier, loaded with “several tons of prill,” was enroute to some mining operations in the area at the time. He said Edge teamed up with two other companies to clean up and haul the material for disposal at the Yellowknife landfill. “We cleaned up to meet all government standards,” Siemens added. “Once the snow melts we’ll do another check.” Emery Paquin, territories environmental services director, confirmed that his department “remains satisfied with the company’s emergency response to this accident and will be re-inspecting the scene once snow has melted from the site.” Still, he added, the waterways in the area are of particular concern. No charges are expected in connection with the mishap.
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Maine, Maryland eye phosphate legislation
Augusta, Maine-Legislators are amending an existing phosphate law to ban its sale and use on lawn and turf grass in most cases, according to the Maine Farm Bureau. The state has prohibited since 1993 the sale or use of any high phosphate detergents. Now the legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources is putting the finishing touches on a bill (LD587) that permits phosphate only for starting a new lawn or if soil tests from an accredited laboratory indicate that it’s needed, reported Farm Bureau Executive Director Jon Olsen. Any dealer selling fertilizer containing phosphate would be required to identify the product with an approved sign stating the restrictions. Olson told Green Markets that the committee’s final bill eliminates requirements that any phosphate applied to lawns must be tilled and provides exemptions for hydroseeding and sod farming. High phosphate detergent use also has been exempted for cleaning dairy, food processing, and industrial equipment. “With the changes,” he added, “the committee now has a bill which is agreeable to all.” At the same time, Maryland legislators are considering restricting phosphate in dishwasher detergent to help clean up Chesapeake Bay. The bill would reduce the allowed amount from the current 7 percent to a half a percent. The detergent industry has warned that the action would force households to live without the cleanest dishes, but supporters report that there are a number of phosphate-free soaps already available. Washington state, prompted by pollution in the Spokane River, voted last year to require soap companies to curtail phosphates.
Kansas getting its own restrictions for AN
Topeka, Kan.-Kansas agriculture interests are only the governor’s signature away from getting their own legislation regulating the sale of ammonium nitrate. Hoping to avoid unnecessary federal restrictions on AN as an explosive, the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Assn. (KARA) worked to get the bill (HB2487) introduced in the current legislature. The bill requires dealers to register with the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture; obtain the purchasers’ address, drivers’ license, and telephone numbers, as well as the date and quantity of sale; and maintain sales records for inspection by the state for three years. Dealers will also be authorized to refuse out-of-season or large quantity purchases. “Our industry is afraid that another terrorist attack with ammonium nitrate will lead to legislation far more restrictive than what we have proposed,” reported KARA lobbyist Duane Simpson. “We believe that preemptive legislation that protects the product and the public is the best solution.” The bill passed the Senate earlier this month with only minor changes that require concurrence of the House.
CF relocates to Deerfield
Deerfield, Ill.-CF Industries Holdings, Inc. said March 12 that it has relocated its corporate headquarters to Deerfield, Illinois. The company had been based in Long Grove, Illinois, since 1976. The address is 4 Parkway North, Suite 400, Deerfield, Illinois 60015-2590. The main telephone number is 847-405-2400. The new location is convenient to expressways and airports, and is approximately 10 miles closer to downtown Chicago. The company’s existing building and property in Long Grove are currently for sale.
Rentech receives zoning approval
Los Angeles-Rentech Inc. reports that it has received local zoning approval to allow it to convert its ammonia plant in East Dubuque, Ill., into a facility that can produce coal-based fuels as well as ammonia. Rentech expects to begin site work in order to commence construction later this year.
Universities cooperate on urea management guide
Bozeman-Professors from Montana State University, the University of Idaho, and Washington State University collaborated on a publication to address concerns raised by urea fertilizer’s ability to “volatilize” into a gas. The document first addresses the factors that affect volatilization, then focuses on management practices to minimize volatilization from farmers’ fields. The document can be viewed on the internet at http://landresources.montana.edu/SoilFertility/ammonvolat.html. It can also be obtained from Extension Publications by calling (406) 994-3273, or via email at orderpubs@montana.edu.
Deere claims OptiGro saves on fertilizer
Lenexa, Kan.-John Deere Co. is introducing its OptiGro System to optimize yields for corn and wheat while improving use efficiency of nitrogen and other inputs, according to the company’s Agri Services officials. John Mann, strategic marketing vice president, said this field-proven system keeps up with advancements in precision farming technology, digital mapping, and variable rate systems to help growers improve efficiency of inputs by putting down nitrogen where and when it’s needed. “This means that a producer can optimize corn yields while saving on fertilizer costs,” Mann added. He claimed that with OptiGro identifying nitrogen needs throughout the growing stage, growers could save between $5 and $25 per acre in nitrogen costs. “Not only that, the OptiGro system reduces overall costs, optimizes yields, and helps growers minimize the chance for nitrogen runoff,” Mann reported. “The system is a useful tool in helping to better manage fertilizer, and it ultimately helps growers become more efficient with overall inputs in their fields.”
Illinois climate panel eyes nitrogen reduction
Springfield, Ill.-Agriculture shouldn’t get the jitters over talk of using less nitrogen fertilizer as one of the ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the word from the state’s Climate Change Advisory Group, formed by the Gov. Rod Blagojevich to develop strategies for reducing these emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The advisory group, which is on a timeline to submit recommendations in late July, is headed by Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott. Members are eyeing some 115 different emissions-reducing options. “We may well decide because of all the corn planted and the nitrogen used (that there may be) other strategies to consider,” Scott told the Illinois Farm Bureau. He stressed that global climate change will affect all sectors, and all sectors should help reduce emissions rather than just one of two areas. “It’s very ambitious, but we’ve made a good start,” Scott said. One IEPA staffer told Green Markets that nitrogen ranks in the top 20 of those on the list because of the nitrous oxides factor, but there are plenty of others that are being looked at, including power and concrete plants, transportation operations, and others with the potential to have an impact on greenhouse emissions. “At this point we’re looking at voluntary practices to limit nitrogen use,” he offered. “No-till or strip-till, which require minimum soil disturbance, are being considered, along with fertilizer injection and just an overall effort to promote efficient use. We recognize that agriculture already has implemented a number of practices the group has under consideration. So we’ll revisit the old ones and along the way encourage use of some new ones.” He said the panel will be consulting with the agriculture sector. The ag industry is represented on the panel by ADM, Deere & Co., and at least one farmer.
AIChE sets conference date
Henderson, Nev.-The American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE Ammonia Safety Committee is pleased to announce this year’s upcoming conference. The 52nd Annual Safety in Ammonia Plants and Related Facilities Symposium will be held Sept.16-20, 2007, at the Loews Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev. The website link for registration and additional information is http://www.aiche.org/Conferences/Specialty/Ammonia.aspx
ENCAP receives boost from Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisc.-ENCAP LLC, which has proprietary soil technologies to control erosion, establish seeds, and hold fertilizers in place, has received a $4,000 manufacturing improvement assistance grant from the Green Bay economic development division to help expand market research and laboratory training. President Michael Krysiak said ENCAP will now be able to test the effectiveness of integrating AST into fertilizer granules to control nutrient transport and runoff in soils.