A substantial liquid nitrogen fertilizer leak at a farmers cooperative in Red Oak, Iowa, poses environmental risks to the East Nishnabotna River.
Jared Strong reports for News From The States.
In short:
- Approximately 265,000 gallons of fertilizer leaked into the river, affecting aquatic life and potentially water quality down to the Missouri border.
- The leak originated from a valve during transfer processes, lacking adequate containment measures.
- The spill's impact is intensified by low river flow rates, complicating dilution and containment efforts.
Key quote:
"It is a lot of fertilizer."
— Wendy Wittrock, senior environmental specialist at the DNR
Why this matters:
Fertilizer spills, while perhaps not as visually dramatic as oil spills, can nevertheless inflict significant harm on the environment, disrupting ecosystems and threatening the health of both wildlife and humans.
For every ton of fertilizer farmers apply to fields in the United States, almost 1,200 pounds is wasted due to inefficiency, with almost 400 pounds of that waste flushing into streams and aquifers.
