PEORIA, Ill. — Nutrient research findings, license plate regulations and taking the lead in response to an accident are just a few of the success stories for the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association in 2019.
In her annual president’s report at the IFCA convention Jan. 22, Jean Payne reviewed the past year’s successes and challenges and looked ahead to 2020.
Trailer, Floater Plates
IFCA’s strong working relationship with the secretary of state, Illinois State Police and state Department of Agriculture paved the way for IFCA to introduce legislation to remove the fertilizer trailer and spreader registration and fees. The General Assembly unanimously passed the bill, and it was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
With 30,000 fertilizer trailers/floaters in the state no longer required to register, IFCA reduced its retail members’ regulatory burden by at least $200,000 per year.
“The reason it passed unanimously is because we always do our homework before we go to the legislature. We are not an organization that comes up with an idea, throws the bill into the hopper and hopes it all turns out OK. We do all of our homework before we do that,” Payne said.
The organization is currently exploring ways to further improve the Illinois Vehicle Code to address weight limits on floaters and spreaders.
4R Program
Fertilizer was targeted as the main source of nutrient impairment in water until IFCA’s leadership in creating the Nutrient Research and Education Council and launching the IFCA Keep it 4R Crop Program. The efforts resulted in new science and awareness that fertilizer use alone is not the main cause of nutrient-related issues.
Now, policy discussions on water quality have shifted from fertilizer use into land management, water management and crop management practices as a whole.
In Illinois, IFCA has maintained positive working relationships with environmental groups and wastewater agencies to avoid litigation and regulation, and continues those proactive efforts to assure freedom to operate in the fertilizer industry.
“This nutrient loss reduction strategy is a work in progress. We made a lot of great strides but we cannot stop, we can’t say this is over or we’ve crossed that hump and know we can just coast,” Payne said.
“It’s always going to be difficult. We have to keep at it, and our association continues to look down the road at what we need to do next in the 4Rs and nutrient losses.
“Our success with the 4R program is that we proved to everybody that fertilizer is not the main cause of nutrient loss like everybody thought it was 10 years ago. Our 4R program and our research have shined a light on how complex this issue is.”
Safety, Education
IFCA took the communication lead after an ammonia release from a nurse tank in Beach Park last April that resulted in 41 individuals hospitalized including 15 emergency personnel.
“The ag industry looked to IFCA to field the media calls and develop a proactive response to that incident. The work will continue in 2020 as we work with affected parties, the IDOA, farm groups and legislators to improve safety for all who handle agricultural ammonia,” Payne said.
“We’ve taken our usual proactive approach to deal with legislators who ask us, ‘What kind of training are people getting? Do they know that should be turning off their valves when they go down the road? Do they know that when they call 9-1-1 they have to say it’s ammonia?’ Many first responders were injured because they thought they were going to a car fire that day.
“These are basic things that we are going to take on, and we’re working closely with the farmers and with the Illinois Department of Agriculture. We’re going to work on a training program for growers. I’m confident you, as retailers, will have to help us with that, but it’s going to increase the level of safety.
“I don’t ever look at safety as a regulatory burden. Safety is something we should all feel proud about and feel good about, especially when we handle products like ammonia.”