ResponsibleAg plans to inspect 3,000 US retail fertilizer locations over a three-year period beginning in early 2015 in an industry effort to improve compliance with government regulations in the wake of the 2013 explosion in West, Texas.
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), which created ResponsibleAg in February, want to avoid a repeat of the West incident, TFI vice president of public affairs Kathy Mathers said while speaking to the AgGateway Mid-Year Meeting in Iowa on 9 June. A fertilizer retail facility in West containing ammonium nitrate caught fire and exploded on 17 April 2013, killing 15 and injuring more than 150.
Mathers called Adair Grain, which owned the West Fertilizer Company, an "outlier."
"We don't want another Adair Grain to be sitting out there," Mathers said.
ResponsibleAg will begin training auditors in October 2014 and begin inspections in early 2015. The inspections will focus on facilities that carry ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia first, the two fertilizers that have more strict chemical safety standards.
The organization will audit and inspect facilities once every three years using credentialed personnel. As an "audit of the auditors," there will also be random audits carried out by independent entities, Mathers said.
Mathers acknowledged that some companies may be hesitant to participate and pay for additional compliance and auditing—especially when many already carry out similar checks on their own.
But increased pressure on the industry from the government has increased the need for the industry to act, Mathers said. One advantage of ResponsibleAg, she said, is that it can enforce compliance, and reduce chances for similar incidents to West, more quickly than a government organization.
"We have a responsibility and we can act fast," Mathers said. "We hope we can get this thing going and really make a difference."
Multiple government agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), released a 121-page report on 6 June detailing possible actions to improve chemical safety and ammonium nitrate regulations. The report was the result of President Barack Obama's executive order issued on 1 August 2013.
The executive order report provided recommendations for increasing ammonium nitrate standards but stopped short of creating specific regulations.
Speaking to an agriculture technology conference, Mathers urged industry players to participate to make ResponsibleAg a success.
TFI conducted an independent public poll following the West incident. It showed that less than 25pc of those surveyed think that the fertilizer industry is trustworthy, responsible or safe.
ResponsibleAg could help change those opinions and has already been well-received by one potential opponent: California senator Barbara Boxer, who has been a strong voice for increased chemical safety regulations following the West explosion. Boxer praised the effort at a Senate committee hearing in March.
Successfully completing a ResponsibleAg inspection could serve as a safety seal of approval for a fertilizer retailer, which the retailer could potentially advertise, Mathers said. Additionally, domestic fertilizer producers will know which facilities will have passed inspections.
"It's a chance for those manufacturers to know who they are selling to and that they are doing the right thing," Mathers said.
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