Huntington, Ind.-The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) doesn’t expect any obstacles to get in the way of granting Helena Chemical Co. an air quality permit for a $15 million, 20-acre fertilizer warehouse that would give the Collierville, Tenn.-based company nearly a dozen locations in this state. IDEM spokesman Robert Elstro told Green Markets that a public information meeting last week is expected to wrap up the comment period, which is supposed to close July 26. He confirmed that at least one resident had asked for more information about construction of the warehouse, which will be used for mixing, storing, and distributing dry and liquid fertilizers. “The final permit can take as little as a couple of days or perhaps longer if we have to go back and make changes,” Elstro reported. He said as far as he can tell from the online enforcement database, Helena has a clean record in Indiana. Doug Goff, Helena’s north central division manager, wasn’t available for comment, but told the local press that all the zoning permits and everything else are in place, and the plant should be in business by 2011. He said the facility, which will be its largest in Indiana, will be highly automated, with both truck and rail access. Helena has 10 other Indiana sites, including Berne, Bluffton, and Markle.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain