Colton, S.D. — Minnehaha County officials indicated that Eastern Farmers Cooperative has a few hurdles to clear with their plans to consolidate two older facilities into a larger fertilizer and seed plant at a site located two miles north of here. Co-op officials said it was too early to talk about the details of the project, but have told the local press that they are looking to close seed and fertilizer operations at Baltic and Crooks and consolidate them in the new facility, expected to cost in the millions of dollars. They pointed out that that the two small facilities are at a disadvantage without rail access, and that the new location would have access to the 85-car trains that bring in large quantities of fertilizer. “They’ve submitted a request for an agronomy center which would handle ammonia,” Scott Anderson, Minnehaha County’s planning director, told Green Markets. “They went to the planning commission, which recommended approval Jan. 28 with parking requirements, lighting requirements … pretty much the usual conditions.” Some 70 were in attendance at the meeting, where three or four parties – including surrounding property owners – indicated their opposition. “Anyone has the right to appeal to the planning commission decision, and the hearing on the conditional use permit is scheduled on Feb. 19,” Anderson said. “When we have big projects like this there’s always someone who is opposed to it.” One resident is concerned about the increased truck traffic, and another questioned whether the site would be appropriate for an ammonia tank.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain