Lawrence, Kan.-Lawrence city officials have confirmed that everything is in place to move ahead to take over and proceed with the cleanup of the former Farmland Industries Inc. fertilizer plant. Formally executing ownership, which has been fraught with indecision on more than a few occasions, will now allow the city to begin converting the 467 acres into a business park. Under terms drafted in June, the city will acquire the site without purchasing it and receive at closing $8.5 million – to be used for remediation – from current property owner Farmland Industries Kansas Remediation Trust. The city will execute a consent order with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which will place the liability for the necessary environmental remediation on the city. If the city successfully executes the remediation as outlined in the consent order, it will not have any further environmental liability from the state. The city has received a statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning the limits of the obligations on the Farmland property. The next step, which has been approved by city commissioners, is sending out a request for proposals from companies interested in demolishing the majority of the structures left on the site.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain