State Ag Officials Seek OSHA Enforcement Extension
The National Association of State Ag Departments is asking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to delay its enforcement of stringent new requirements for the storage of anhydrous ammonia at retail locations.
The State Ag Departments sent a letter to OSHA asking them to delay enforcement of the new Process Safety Management rules until July of 2018.
OSHA removed the retailer’s exemption from the Process Safety Management anhydrous ammonium requirements after the explosion at the West Fertilizer Plant in West, Texas, back in 2013.
Ag groups say the change could be significantly expensive for small, independent retail fertilizer dealers.
The letter to OSHA goes on to say, “During a time of low commodity prices and higher input costs, this policy could increase the price of anhydrous ammonia and decrease its availability, without improving safety.”
