Toronto-Marsulex Inc. reported a 54.3 percent drop in net income for the second quarter ending June 30, 2010, to C$7.9 million from the year-ago $17.3 million. However, Marsulex noted that EBITDA of $21.9 million was the second highest on record, surpassing the year-ago $35.2 million. Marsulex said it continues with its strategic review, and it is unable to say how long the process will take or if it will result in a transaction. Second-quarter sales were $81 million, down from the year-ago sales of $89.4 million. Six-month net income was $11.7 million on sales of $143.7 million, down from the year-ago net income of $18.9 million on sales of $157.9 million. Second-quarter EBITDA was $36.5 million, down from the year-ago EBITDA of $46.7 million.

Toronto-Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund reported a loss of C$1.1 million ($.04 per diluted share) on revenues of $137.4 million for the second quarter ending June 30, 2010, compared to year-ago net income of $13.6 million ($.44 per share) on revenues of $124.6 million. Chemtrade estimated that the fire at its Beaumont, Texas, facility (GM May 31, June 21) adversely impacted second-quarter distributable cash by $2.5 million, or 8 cents per unit. Chemtrade expects the Beaumont plant to be restarted by the end of October. Six-month net income was $12.7 million ($.41 per share) on sales of $264.2 million, down from the year-ago net income of $14.9 million ($.48 per share) on sales of $286.4 million.

Cranbury, N.J.-Specialty phosphate maker Innophos Holdings Inc. reported net income for the second quarter ending June 30, 2010, of $17.6 million ($.79 per diluted share) on sales of $184 million, compared to the year-ago $17.6 million ($.81 per share) on sales of $166.8 million. The company said all parts of the business are performing well and that it is making headway in its plan to diversify sourcing of phosphate rock. The company said it signed its first new phos rock contract May 3, and has taken shipload quantities from three different potential sources and continues to advance negotiations for both short- and long-term supply. Six-month net income was $28 million ($1.26 per share) on sales of $353 million, versus the year-ago $47.8 million ($2.19 per share) on sales of $357.6 million.

Wichita-OSHA has issued 11 individual notices of violations, all considered serious, against MagnaGro International of Lawrence, Kan., in connection with the deaths of two employees from asphyxiation on April 1 (GM April 5, p. 10). The citations, dated July 16, carry a penalty of $73,000 and require corrective action by Sept. 1. Attempts to contact owner Raymond Sawyer were unsuccessful, and an employee answering the phone at the plant would not confirm that the city closed down MagnaGro last month for city code violations. Sawyer and his fertilizer business also face possible criminal and civil action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Chris Whitley, EPA Region 7 spokesman, told Green Markets that lab work has been completed from an onsite visit to the MagnaGro plant last month, but didn’t say if any action is in the works. “It’s too early to tell what the next step might be,” Whitley reported. He did add that there is potential for some civil action. Although Whitley also confirmed that MagnaGro is the focus of a separate EPA criminal investigation, he had no details about this situation because the EPA criminal unit operates apart from the civil offices at Kansas City. But OSHA inspectors found a litany of infractions, ranging from not providing fall protection for employees working around molasses storage tanks, fixed stairs not being provided for access from one structure to another where regular travel is necessary, and exposure to potential falls of up to 14 feet, to information and training not being provided to employees on hazardous chemicals, or ensuring that employees were aware they were working with such chemicals as sulfuric acid, green and white phosphorus, humic acid, and fermenting molasses. OSHA also charged that hazardous chemicals were not labeled with warning notices, and that the company did not have a written hazardous chemical communication program.

Calgary-Experts from multiple local and federal agencies, plus the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health in the U.S., were on the scene starting Aug. 3 to oversee the careful transfer of an estimated 200,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia from eight tanker cars involved in a Canadian Pacific (CP) derailment just outside of a bedroom community north of here. “There have been no leaks of the product while we are making progress in the transloading,” CP spokesman Mike Lovecchio told Green Markets, “but with all the safety precautions it’s taking a great deal of time”; he declined to say when the recovery operation would be completed. He did indicate that the community of Airdrie, 15 miles from Calgary, with about 40,000 residents, wasn’t experiencing a lot of disruption except for the evacuation of three farmhouses adjacent to the site. He said there were no evacuations at all within the city. The eight loaded tankers were among 32 on an 80-car train that derailed around 7 a.m. MT Tuesday. Lovecchio said he couldn’t talk about a timeline for completing the transloading, but said the ammonia was being transferred into tanker trucks for delivery to the shipper. He declined to identify the shipper or the destination of the shipment. Cause of the derailment has not been determined.

Millstadt, Ill.-Surveillance cameras, in operation at Illinois farm outlets for some time, played a major role in the capture and charging of a two-time anhydrous ammonia theft suspect, according to industry officials, who said one of two suspects returned to the scene of the crime. The suspect, who has been the object of efforts to identify and arrest him since his photo was captured on the video at Handy Fertilizer Co., was nabbed by the coordinated efforts of local authorities and the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois. “While conducting the investigation, agents confirmed that one of the suspects was the same person caught on video in May,” said Group Commander Joe Beliveau. The picture was carried in the local newspaper to assist authorities in their search. Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, told Green Markets that Handy purchased the security system after an ammonia theft attempt in 2008 caused a release that resulted in a $5,500 fine by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Instead, Handy decided to credit that amount on a security system. The state of Illinois also had a grant program for the same purpose, but it expired before Handy obtained the cameras. “I would estimate that 50 to 60 other retailers qualified for the security systems, which are still in wide use,” Payne reported. “We had a lot of this type of thefts at that time, and many of those arrested went to prison. But now they’re out and going back to making methamphetamine. So we’re seeing an uptick in these crimes.” Charges were filed by the St. Clair county attorney late last month in the arrest at Handy’s, including two counts of unlawful procurement of anhydrous ammonia. Bail was set at $150,000. A second individual arrested on the scene was released pending further investigation.

Boston-Organic fertilizer producer Converted Organics Inc. is eliminating 24 corporate and manufacturing positions – or about half of the workforces at its Boston headquarters and New Jersey manufacturing facility – in a series of cost reduction measures that also include the reorganization of corporate and other functions at those two locations. The reductions are expected to reduce operating expenses by approximately $2.1 million per year. At the same time, discussions are being held with creditors to restructure principal and interest payments related to the Woodbridge, N.J., facility. Company officials said the reorganization will not impact their manufacturing facility at Gonzales, Calif., where a line of organic liquid fertilizer products accounted for approximately 75 percent of total sales through the first six months of 2010. The sales from California have grown 62 percent over 2009, and the company expects to see continued growth in the future. “This reorganization is designed to significantly reduce expenses while improving overall operational efficiency,” declared Converted Organics President Edward Gildea. “We believe that these measures make Converted Organics a leaner, more focused organization as we prepare for the next phase of the company’s growth. We have an aggressive growth strategy, which includes the development of a vertically-integrated portfolio of green assets, centered around our organic fertilizer products and the pending acquisition of TerraSphere Systems, LLC.”

Deerfield, Ill.-CF Industries Holdings Inc. said Aug. 6 that it has agreed to the terms of a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection involving compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The agreement resolves a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued in 2005 that alleged that certain practices at the company’s Plant City, Fla., phosphate complex violated RCRA. The consent decree will not be final until it has been approved by a federal court. Under the terms of the agreement, the evolution of which has been described in previous disclosures, the company will pay a civil penalty of approximately $700,000; modify certain operating practices; undertake capital projects; and accelerate approximately $55 million of funding for future closure, maintenance, and monitoring activities. Additional funding may be required in future years. “We are pleased to have resolved this issue through a negotiated settlement that reaffirms our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Stephen Wilson, CF chairman, president, and CEO. “We have always sought to lead the industry in implementing practices that protect our natural resources, such as construction of our industry-first fully lined phosphogypsum stack system at Plant City.” The 2005 NOV arose from EPA’s broad phosphate industry enforcement initiative. The company said that it believes it was in the best interest of shareholders to negotiate this pioneering agreement in response to the initiative. In doing so, the company has not admitted any violation of law or regulation.