Republic of Ethiopia (2004) EPA Impact Assessment guideline for fertilizer

Republic of Ethiopia (2004) EPA Impact Assessment guideline for fertilizer


The Federal
Environmental Protection

Authority

Environmental impact Assessment Guideline
for fertilizer

NOT FOR CITATION

This guidelines is still under development and shall be
binding after consensus is reached between the
Environmental Protection Authority and the Environmental
Units of Competent Sectoral Agencies

2004
Addis Ababa

Ethiopia


TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGE

GLOSSARY OF TERMS........................................................................................................................III

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................2

CHAPTER I.................................................................................................................................................5

1. CROP PRODUCTION AND FERTILIZERS.....................................................................................5

1.1 PLANT NUTRIENTS...............................................................................................................................5
1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATED TO PRODUCTION AND USE OF......................................................8
1.3 CAUSES OF FERTILIZER CONTAMINATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL......................................................8

CHAPTER II.............................................................................................................................................11

2. POLICIES AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK......................................................................................11

2.1 NATIONAL POLICIES..........................................................................................................................11
2.2 NATIONAL LAWS..............................................................................................................................12

2.2.1The constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia...........................................12
2.2.2Environmental Impact assessment Proclamation.....................................................................13
2.2.3 Pollution Control Proclamation...............................................................................................13

2.3. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS.......................................................................................................13

CHAPTER III............................................................................................................................................14

3.1 IMPACTS ON VEGETATIVE COVER.............................................................................................14
3.2 IMPACTS ON THE SOIL...............................................................................................................14
3.3 IMPACTS ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS.........................................................................................15
3.4 IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH...................................................................................................15

CHAPTER IV............................................................................................................................................16

4. RISK MANAGEMENT MEASURES...............................................................................................16

4.1 MITIGATION MEASURE FOR MAJOR ADVERSE IMPACTS............................................................16
4.2 ALTERNATIVES.........................................................................................................................16
4.3 USE OF CLEANER PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY.........................................................................17
4.4 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)...................................................................19

1. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY......................................................................................................20

2 PLANNING OF AN EMS...............................................................................................................20

3. IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION..................................................................................21

4. CHECKING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION..............................................................................21

4.5 WASTE TREATMENT..........................................................................................................................21
4.6 INCINERATION AND LANDFILLS.........................................................................................................23
4.7 EDUCATION AND AWARENESS...........................................................................................................24
4.8 JUDICIAL APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS............................................................................................24
4.9 INTEGRATED PLANT NUTRITION SYSTEMS (IPNS)............................................................................26

CHAPTER V..............................................................................................................................................18

5.1 INSTITUTIONAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEED...................................................................................18
5.2 HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT...........................................................................................18
5.3 NETWORKING...........................................................................................................................19

CHECK LISTS ON FERTILIZER PRODUCTION AND USE..........................................................19

Annex 1..............................................................................................................................................19

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 i


Annex 2..............................................................................................................................................21

1 FERTILIZER SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................................21

2 INDUSTRIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY............................................................................................22

3 SAFETY LEGISLATION AND REGULATION...............................................................................22

4 SAFETY DATA SHEET......................................................................................................................23

5 SAFETY TRAINING............................................................................................................................23

6 FERTILIZER SAFETY PUBLICATIONS/SAFETY MANUAL FOR FERTILIZER PLANTS.24

7. PREPARING CONTINGENCY PLAN..............................................................................................24

Annex-3..............................................................................................................................................25

References..................................................................................................................................................30

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 ii


GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Alternative agriculture:- A collective term for agricultural practices that

reject the use of soluble mineral fertilizers and pesticides.

Biofertilizers:- living organisms which augument nutrient supplies in one

way or the other, in the strictest sense real biofertilizers are green

manures and organics (materials of biological origin) which are added to

deliver the nutrients contained in them. It also includes carrier-based

inoculants containing cells of efficient strains of specific microorganisms

(mainly bacteria).

Ecosystem:- The interacting system of a biological community and its

non-living environmental surroundings.

Environment:- The totality of all materials whether in their natural state

or modified or changed by human, their external spaces and the

interactions which affect their quality or quantity and the welfare of

human or other living beings, including but not restricted to land,

atmosphere, weather and climate, water, living things, sound, odor,

taste, social factors, and aesthetics.

Environmental Impact: - The degree of change in an environment

resulting from the effect of an activity on the environment whether

desirable or undesirable.

Environmental Impact Assessment: - A method used to predict and

identify possible impact of a proposed action on the environment.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 iii


Environmental objective: - Overall environmental goal, arising from

the environmental policy, that an organization sets, itself to achieve.

Eutrophication

The phenomena of high productivity of aquatic system due to

increased accumulation of nutrients. This has adverse impacts on

quality and life supporting abilities of the aquatic system.

Fertilizer: - A material that furnishes one or more of the chemical

elements necessary for the proper development and growth of plants.

The most important fertilizers are fertilizer products (also called

chemical or mineral fertilizers), manures, and plant residues. A

fertilizer product is a material produced by industrial process with the

specific purpose of being used as a fertilizer.

Good housekeeping: - Efficient management of resources, equipment,

working environment of an institution or organization. In the context

of cleaner production, it often refers to the procedures applied in the

operation of a production process, to ensure environmental

sustainability .

Inorganic fertilizer: - A term used for fertilizer in which the declared

nutrients are in the form of inorganic salts obtained by extraction

and/or by physical and/ or chemical industrial process (ISO).

Landfills: - 1. Sanitary landfills are land disposal sites for non-

hazardous solid wastes, where the waste is spread in layers,

compacted to the smallest practical volume and cover

material applied at the end of each operating day.

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2. Secure chemical landfills are disposal sites for hazardous

waste. They are selected and designed to minimize the

chance of hazardous substances being released into the

environment.

Leachate:- A liquid produced when water collects contaminants as is

trickles through wastes, agricultural pesticides or fertilizers. Leaching

may occur in farming areas, feedlots or landfills and may result in

hazardous substances entering surface water, groundwater or soil.

Mitigation: - Measures taken to prevent, reduce or rectify impacts of a

particular project of the evaluation process concludes that the impact

s are significant.

Nitrate: - A compound containing nitrogen that can exist in the

atmosphere or as a dissolved gas in water and that can have harmful

effects on humans and animals. Nitrate in water can cause severe

illness in infants and cows.

Organic fertilizer:- Carbonaceous materials mainly of vegetable and/

or animal origins added to the soil specifically for the nutrition of

plans (ISO).

Plant nutrient: - Chemical elements that are essential for the proper

development and growth of plants.

Pollutant: - Generally, any substance introduced into the environment

that has the potential to adversely affect the water, soil or air.

Pollution: - To make fowl, unclear, dirty, any physical, chemical, or

biological change that adversely affects the health, survival, or

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 v


activities of living organisms or that alters the environment in

undesirable ways.

Proponent: - Any organ of government if in the public sector, a
person if in the private sector that initiates a project or a public
instrument.

Recycling: - the process of minimizing the generation of waste by
recovering usable products that might otherwise become waste.
Examples are the recycling of aluminum cans, waste papers,
bottles, etc.

Waste: - Unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing
process and refuse form places of human or animal habitation.

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Introduction

Agriculture is the dominant sector in the Ethiopian economy accounting
for an average of 48% of the GDP, an estimated 85% of employment
and 90% of exports. The sector also provides a lively-hood for 85% of
the population of the population. Field crop is the dominant sub-sector
accounting for about 64% of the agriculture GDP. But, combination of
factors has resulted in serious and growing problems of food insecurity
in the country. Adverse climatic changes (drought). Human population
pressure and environmental degradation are few among the other
factors for food insecurity.

Food insecurity is one of the defining features of rural poverty affecting
millions particularly in moisture deficit highlands and pastoral areas.
The Government of Ethiopia plans to tackle the, problem of food
insecurity through the introduction of small, medium and large-scale
irrigation incorporating the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and
application of appropriate technologies.

Fertilizers are one of the important agricultural inputs to increase the
level of crop production. However the consumption of fertilizer is low in
Ethiopia, at about 18 ks / ha on the average and represents about one-
fifth of the level needed to achieve the agronomic optimum at the
current level of the ecology (compare 48ks/ha for Kenya and 70kg/ha for
Zimbabwe).

The 2001/2002 agricultural sample Enumeration results reveals that
fertilizers were applied on only 4,055.629 hectares (39.53%) of the total
cultivated cropland area. Of this the total fertilized cropland area the
share of natural fertilizer applied area was found to be 1,549,968
hectares (38%), while the contribution of chemical fertilizer applied
croplands area was 2,505,661 hectares (62%of the total fertilizer
cropland area at country level. Moreover, of the above mentioned total
fertilized cropland area, the share of rural private agricultural holdings
was found to be 3,755,178 hectares (93%). The proportion of the total
fertilized cropland areas for urban and commercial farms was 62,755
hectares (1.55%) and 237,697 hectares (5.86%) in that order.

The demand for fertilizer is expected to show a significant increase as a
result of the new extension approach that the Government is
undertaking. Concerns have been raised about the continued reliance
on imported fertilizer for sustainability of the country’s agricultural
development. However, the Government is promoting the use of
indigenous nutrient resources, both organic and inorganic to sustain and
improve soil fertility and reduce the country’s dependence on fertilizer
imports. For long-term sustainability the Government has embarked on

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a number of projects and feasibility studies for related nutrient supplies
projects aimed at reducing reliance on imported chemical fertilizers.

It has to be recognized that the production and unwise use of fertilizers
can contribute some of the present environmental ills. The production
and unwise use of fertilizers can be a prime source of pollution,
eutrophication of fresh and marine waters, increasing nitrate
concentrations in the ground and surface waters, and pesticide residues
in soil, water and food.

In the absence of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system, the
production and use of the fertilizers could lead to severe impacts on the
environment and human health. Thus, in the view of the above-
mention concern on the environment, the Environmental Protection
Authority (EPA) of the Federal democratic Republic of Ethiopia has
prepared this Environmental Impact Assessment guideline for the
production and use of fertilizers.

Objective and purpose of the Guideline

The main objectives of this EIA guideline is to bring in to focus any
possible negative impacts on the environment at such an early stage in
the planning process that these impacts may either be mitigated or
avoided in the production and use artificial fertilizers.
The preparation of the guideline has emanated from different
perspectives, mainly to protect the environment from any negative
impacts so that sustainable use of resources is garneted. The guideline
provides basic information on potential impacts of fertilizers in the
production and utilization processes.

The guideline, in general assists users to think about how to reduce the
potential impacts of fertilizers in the production and utilization processes
by identifying various aspects and undertaking various mitagation
measures.

This document also assists the proponent and independent consultant to
identify various Environmental aspects and impacts so that appropriate
mitigation measures could clearly be indicated earlier in the planning
stage; and in the environmental impact statement document.

 Crop production and fertilizers, the use of fertilizers and
major environmental issues to the production and use of fertilizers
is described in chapter 1.

 Environmental policies, laws and conventions are briefly
outlined in chapter 2.

 A description of the impacts of fertilizer use on
vegetation, soil, aquatic ecosystems, and human health is given in
chapter 3.

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 Mitigation measures for major adverse impacts of
fertilizer production and use, alternatives to fertilizer use, concepts
on cleaner production, Environmental management system, and
waste treatment methods are described in chapter 4.

 Institution and infrastructure, human resource
development, and information exchange form all available sources
about the production, use and management of fertilizers is briefly
discussed in chapter 5.

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Chapter I

Crop production and Fertilizers

We all depend on plants for our food, and plants depend on
mineral nutrients for their growth and development. Thirteen
elements derived from the soil are indispensible for all plant
growth. They are called plant nutrients. Fertilizers are plant
nutrients.

1.1 Plant nutrients

Plants form their complex organic matter from water, and
nutrients from the soil, carbon dioxide from the air and the energy
form sunlight.

Plants use six of the nutrients in relatively large amounts:
nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, calcium and
magnesium. These are called "major nutrients". They are
constituents of many plant components such as proteins, nucleic
acids and chlorophyll, and are essential for processes such as
energy transfer, maintenance of internal pressure and enzyme
function.

The other nutrients are required in small or trace quantities and
are referred to as " micro nutrients", or trace elements". They
have a variety of essential functions in plant metabolism. The
micronutrients include: Chlorine, iron, manganese, zinc, copper,
boron and molybdenum.

For optimum plant growth, nutrients must be available for plants:
 in solution in the soil water;
 in appropriate and balanced amounts and,
 at the right time.

Plants are supplied with nutrients mainly from
 release of nutrients from soil reserves,
 decomposing plant residues (roots, straw, etc.)
 organic manures,
 mineral fertilizers,
 bilogical nitrogen fixation,
 Aerial deposition.

Nutrients removed from the soil must be replenished, otherwise the soil
becomes exhausted and crops will suffer and eventually fail. Sustainable
plant production requires the replacement, of nutrients, which are taken

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 5


out through the crops, and fertilizer is critical to achieve the level of
agricultural production needed for the rapidly growing population.

Organic versus commercial fertilizers

Organic refer to the use of organic matter, e.g. manure, to meet plants’
need for nutrients. As pointed out earlier the plant is a manufacturing
entity and requires certain ions for the making of the plant tissue and
the numerous manufactured compounds. These ions are absorbed and
used by the plant regardless of whether they come from organic matter
or from commercial fertilizer. The main reason that commercial
fertilizers are extensively used is that they supply the essential ions
much more economically than do the various forms of organic matter.

Soil Organic Matter (SOM)

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a critical role in agricultural productivity
and sustainability. It is made up of living and dead components,
including living and dead roots, microorganisms, soil fauna (earthworms,
insects, etc), leaf litter, crop residues, products of microbial metabolism,
and humic substances (gooey residues that can immobilize nutrients
and bind bits of soil together into aggregates a healthy structure).

Organic matter is critical to soil fertility.
 It can be the source of the nutrients that microorganisms

release in to solution and which are taken up by plants roots.
 It provides for the formation of good soil structure, with

proper porosity, oxygen flow, PH, water retention capacity and
stability.

 It is the substrate for soil life.
 It can absorb and neutralize toxic substances.
 It can buffer nutrient cycles and thus retard leaching,

while providing for their timely release to plants.

Sustainable agriculture practices based on agroecolgical principles focus
on managing and increasing the SOM content of soils, as do many of the
practices of traditional agriculturalists around the world. The methods
are abundant and varied. They include: - plowing crop residues back
into the soil, planting cover crops of "green manures" that generate
additional biomass, and which are also plowed under; applying compost
or animal manure; matching with leaf litter brought form forests or other
sources; and many other locally appropriate techniques.

Fertilizer Benefits to the Human Environment

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The potential negative environmental aspects of fertilizers are minor
when fertilizers are used in the proper quality, at the proper time of the
cropping season, and in the adequate quantity.

Fertilizers make significant positive contributions to the human
environments. Some of these contributions include:

 improvement of farming efficiency,
 improvement of soil quality,
 improvement of crop quality,
 retardation of soil erosion,
 conservation of water,
 air purification

1.2 Environmental issues related to production and use of
Fertilizers

Production and use of fertilizers require activities including mining
mechanical and/or chemical processing material transport and handling
and ultimately soil application. Therefore, fertilizer producers and users
are faced with a number of potential points where adverse impacts on
the environment may occur. For example, fertilizer production
processes may release emissions containing potential pollutants that
may have local environmental impact (e. g acid rain, water acidification,
and eurtophication ground water contamination, etc). and theoretically
may contribute to global environmental problems ( e.g greenhouse
effect)

The fertilizer industry operates facilities with different levels of
environmental safety and consequently varies considerably form one
production complex to another. Similarly, fertilizer use practices have
evolved over time and under changing crop production systems and
public concerns. Thus, fertilizer use practices vary considerably as to
real or potential adverse environmental impacts. Therefore, if fertilizer
production processes and use practices are to minimize adverse
environmental impact, both locally and globally, it is important that a full
range of pollution prevention process are used and operated with the
highest standards of operation and maintenance.

1.3 Causes of Fertilizer contamination and Environmental
Impacts.

All fertilizers applied to a field are not taken up by the crop plants.
A significant proportion is lost. Thus, there will be contamination
to the surrounding environment. Part of the reason is excessive
application of fertilizer; but more importantly, a combination of
crop, soil and climatic factors prevent form being complete.

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In natural ecosystems, with an undisturbed plant community,
there is very little nitrogen loss because the input to the soil from
rainfall and natural fixation is roughly balanced by the amount
taken up by living active roots.

Leachate losses are strongly influenced by when and how
fertilizers are applied. Timing of application in relation to rainfall,
season and crop growth is crucial. Greater uptake result from split
applications and the use of slow release compounds. Incorporation
also produces less loss than broadcasting the fertilizer, but deep
application results in high leachated looses. Up to 96 percent of
nitrate fertilizers, which are more mobile, together with 60-80
percent of urea, may be lost if they are deep placed in soils with a
high percolation rate.

A significant concern with fertilizers, is problems stemming from
nitrates. Concerns have generally centered around the role
nitrates play in methemoglobinemia. This ailment is a blood
disorder caused by high levels of nitrates. It can affect people of
all ages (especially infants and pregnant women) and has resulted
in death. Excessive consumption of nitrates can result in
gastroenteritis and diarrhea. Nitrates may be converted by the
body into compounds known to the carcinogenic. High nitrates in
ground water cannot be automatically attributed to fertilizer.

Leaching of the nitrogen leads to eutrophication of the surface
water and the contamination of drinking water. Increasing
biological production in the surface waters consumes dissolved
oxygen and causes eutrophication. Algae present in the waters
with excess nutrates (mainly leached nitrogen and phosphorus
form soil erosion) grow rapidly and consume most of the oxygen
preventing development of other forms of life, e.g. fishes. In some
cases eutrophication can lead to the to the total extincition of life
in the waters and can make surface waters unusable.

Use of fertilizers also causes emission of gases to the atmosphere.
Nitrous oxide and other oxides of nitrogen in the atmosphere are
transformed into NO2, which reacts with ozone in the upper zones.
The emission of carbon dioxide and small quantities of nitrogen
and sulpher oxides to the atmosphere in the production of
ammonia, caused environmental impacts. Minor amounts of light
hydrocarbons, ammonia, hydrogen and carbon oxides may be also
be due to leaks from flanges and stuffing boxes especially during
maintenance operations.

In the production process of Nitric acid the main impact on the
environment is from Nox emissions to the atmosphere Nox may

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 8


contribute to acid rain and ground level ozone. More over,
effluents and emissions form various sources in the fertilizer
production processes also may pose various environmental
impacts.

Application of organic matter as a fertilizer has also some negative
aspects.

 Under continuously reducing conditions ( poorly drained rice
fields) Organic acids and other organic products may retard
plant growth.

 City compost and sewage slurries may be contaminated by
the toxic roganic compounds and heavy metals.

 Farm yard manure is a source of cadmium.
 Heavy use of farm yard manure may cuse bacterial pollution

of ground water and eutrophication of surface waters.
 The application of biomass requires transportation and

disposal of large volumes; thus, it is a labor and energy
intensive operation

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 9


Chapter II

2. Policies and legal framework

2.1 National policies

In its sectoral Environmental Policies, on “Soil husbandry and
sustainable agriculture. The following policy elements are stated.

 “To promote the use of appropriate organic matter and nutrient
management for improving soil structure, nutrient status and
microbiology in improving soil conservation and land husbandry”;

 To safeguard the integrity of the soil and to protect its physical
and biological properties through management practices for the
production of crops and livestock, which pay particular attention to
the proper balance in amounts of chemical and organic fertilizers,
including green manures, farmyard manures and compost.

 “ To ensure that inputs shall be as diverse and complementing as
the physical, chemical and biological components, of the soil
require, and shall not focus solely on a quick and transitory
increase in plant nutrients to the long-term detriment of soil
structure and micro biology”.

In its overall policy goal the environmental policy of Ethiopia (EPE)
April 12,1997) states: that:
"The overall policy goal is to improve and enhance the health and
quality of life of all Ethiopians and to promote sustainable social
and economic development through the sound management and
use of natural, human-made and cultural resources and the
environment as a whole so as to meet the needs of the present
generation without compromising the ability of future generation
to meet their own needs.
The EPE provides sectoral Environmental policies, cross-sectoral
policies; in the cross-sectoral policy Environmental Impacts
assessment is included.

 “To ensure that environmental impact assessments consider
not only physical and biological impacts but also address
social, socio economic, political and cultural conditions;

 “ To ensure that public and private sector development
programmes and projects recognize any environmental
impacts early and incorporate their containment into the
development design process;

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 “To ensure that an environmental impact statement always
includes mitigation plans for environmental management
problems and contingency plans in case of accident;

2.2 National Laws

2.2.1 The constitution of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia.

Article 44 of the constitution of the Federal democratic republic of
Ethiopia (FDRE) (August 21,1995) provides a basis on
Environmental rights to the people in Ethiopia. The article states:

1. All persons have the right to a clean and healthy
environment,

2. All persons who have been displaced or whose livelihoods
have been adversely affected as a result of state
programmes have the right to commensurate monetary or
alternative means of compensation, including relocation with
adequate state assistance.

Article 92 of the constitution also declares the following about
environmental objectives;

 governments shall ensure that all Ethiopians live in a clean and
healthy environment.

 peoples have the right to full consultation and expression of views,
and

 government and citizens have the duty to protect the
environment.

2.2.2 Environmental Impact assessment
Proclamation

The Environmental Impact Assessment Proclamation
(no.299/2002) has made development programmes and projects
of the private and public sector subject the to EIA. This
proclamation also provides a legal basis to harmonize and
integrate environmental, economic, cultural, and social
considerations in the planning and decision making process and
thereby promotes sustainable development.

2.2.3 Pollution Control Proclamation

Another legal document which necessities the implementation and
administration of EIA is the Environmental pollution control
proclamation (No.300/2002). This proclamation is promulgated
with the view of eliminating, or when not possible to mitigate

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pollution as an undesirable consequences of social and economic
development activities.

2.3. International conventions

Ethiopia is a party to various international treaties entered into
various times since the signing of the Rio agreements and even
earlier Ethiopia has also ratified a number of international
convention including convention on Biological Diversity, united
Nations Framework convention on climate change, the basal
convention, etc. The judicial implementation of these international
convention entails among others, the placement of the EIA system
in the country.

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Chapter III

Major Environmental Impacts of Fertilizers use

The nutrients contained in fertilizers will not only promote the
growth of crops but also of wild plants, weeds as wells algal and
aquatic plants in rivers, lakes and the sea. The general levels of
nutrients in excess of those normally present in natural
ecosystems will result in considerable disturbance to plant and
animal communities, and these may be undesirable from the
viewpoint of conservation, aesthetics, or recreation. Damage
usually results from nitrogen and phosphorus in excess.

3.1 Impacts on vegetative cover
 Excessive rates of fertilizer application adversely affect

crop growth.
 Intensive fertilizing causes damage to soil microorganisms.
 Leguminous plants over-exposed to nitrogen fertilizer

become ineffective nitrogen fixers.

3.2 Impacts on the soil

 Heavy use of most nitrogen and some other fertilizers can
lead to soil acidification brings and change in biological and
physical soil properties.

 Fertilizers are often cited as having a detrimental effect on
soil structure, mainly because they are thought to cause a
decrease in the soil's content of organic content.

 Increased concentration of heavy metals can have adverse
effect on soil life.

3.3 Impacts on aquatic ecosystems

 Eutrophication of surface water bodies
- Multiplication of algae;
- Increased demand for dissolved oxygen;
- Reduced amount of light penetrating to the surface, and

reduction of photosynthetic activities;
- Decomposition of larger amounts of organic remains;
- Particularly in shallow water bodies such as fishponds, paddy

fields, natural lagoons and streams.
 Impairment of aesthetic qualities of surface water bodies

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- Excessive algal scum and acquatic weeds.
- Undesirable color, taste and odour.

3.4 Impacts on human health

While fertilizers cause relatively little harm to wild life at least in
comparison to the damage caused by pesticides, they are
hazardous, in certain circumstances, to human health. These
include

 High nitrate concentrations in drinking water can result in clinical
metheamoglobineamia (often referred to as the blue baby
syndrome)

 Dust exposure is the main occupational health problem in fertilizer
manufacture.

 Inqesting of nitrate is implicated in a number of serious diseases,
like gastric, bladder esophageal cancer.

Chapter IV

4. Risk management measures

4.1 Mitigation measure for major adverse impacts

In order to protect the environment form the adverse effects of
fertilizers programs and projects there are a number of mitigation and
management options that can be implemented. Some key consideration
are given below.

 Requirement for fertilizer plans.
 Preventing the leaching of nutrients after the growing season by

increasing the area under green cover, and by sowing crops with
elevated nitrogen demand

 Promoting and subsidizing better application methods, developing
new, environmentally sound fertilizers, and promoting soil testing.

 Severely limiting the use of fertilizers in for example, water
extraction areas and nature protection areas.

 Take appropriate pollution prevention and control measures.
 Prediction evaluation, and monitoring of impacts
 Inclusion of appropriate engineering, monitoring and management

controls.

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 Sitting process
 Application of EMS
 Proper handling, management of hazardous material,
 Use of cleaner production.

4.2 Alternatives

Current issues associated with fertilizer use have intensified in
new or different farming practices. Several directions can be
followed in this context.

 Reduce the need for fertilizer through more efficient management
of nutrient cycle and precise application fertilizers.

 Application of organic wastes from animals and crops, and use of
crop rotation.

 Crop residue management, green manuring, organic manure and
composting.

 Development of less intensive farming methods with reduced
levels of fertilizer application (developing practice of alternative
agriculture)

Use of biofertilizers, based on renewable energy sources are cost
effective supplement to chemical fertilizers and can help to economize
on the high investment needed for fertilizer use as far as N and P are
concerned. Biofertilizers are known to make a number of positive
contributions in agriculture; for example.

 Supplement fertilizer supplies for meeting the nutrient needs of
crops.

 They can add 20-200kg N/ha (by fixation) under optimum
conditions and solublize/ mobilize, 30-50 kg p2 05/ha.

 They liberate growth promoting substances and vitamins and help
to maintain soil fertility.

 Suppress the incidence of pathogens and control diseases.
 They increase crop yield by 10-50%, N-fixers reduce depletion of

soil nutrients and provide sustainability to the farming system.
 They are cheaper, pollution free and based on renewable energy

sources.
 They improve soil physical properties, tilth and soil health in

general.

4.3 Use of Cleaner production technology

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 15


Cleaner production is defined as the application of an integrated
preventive environmental strategy to processes and products to reduce
risks to humans and the environment.

 For production processes, cleaner production includes conserving
raw materials and energy, eliminating toxic processing materials
and reducing the quality and toxicity of all emissions and wastes
before they leave a production process.

 For products, the approach focuses on the reduction of
environmental impacts along the entire life cycle of a product,
from raw material extraction to the ultimate disposal of the
product by appropriate product design.

Cleaner production is good for the environment because it reduces
pollution form industry. There are also some direct benefits to the
companies that follow this approach, such as:

 Cost saving through reduced wastage of raw materials and
energy.

 Improved operating efficiency of the plant.
 Better product quality and consistency because the plant

operation is more predictable.
 Recovery of some wasted materials.

Cleaner production requires:
 Applying know-how,
 Improving technology,
 Changing attitudes.

The cleaner production approach to industrial environmental
management requires a hierarchical approach to pollutant management
practices.

The order of preference in decision-making on design and
operation is as follows:

 Prevention of generation of wastes,
 Recycling,
 Treatment,
 Safe disposal.

Cleaner production does not always require new technologies and
equipment. Some example of practical cleaner production techniques
include:

 Good house keeping and operating procurers,
 Material substitution,
 Technology changes,

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 16


 On-site recycling,
 Product design.

4.4 Environmental Management System (EMS)

Environmental management is the overall management system
that includes organizational structure, planning activities,
responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for
developing implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining
the environmental policy.

It is important that fertilizer manufacturing industries distributors
and users have to establish and implement effective
environmental management system, which can be integrated with
other management requirements so that the industries achieve
environmental and economic goals. The success of environmental
management system depends on the commitment form all levels
and functions, especially from top management.

Environmental Management system requirements
General requirements.

The organization shall establish and maintain an environmental
management system. The requirements are described below:

1. Environmental Policy
Top management shall define the organizations environmental
policy and ensure that it.
a. In appropriate to the nature, scale and environmental

impacts of its activities products or services.
b. Includes a commitment to continual improvement and

prevention of pollution.
c. Includes a commitment to comply with relevant

environmental legislation and requirements to which the
organization subscribes.

d. Provides the framework for setting and reviewing
environmental objectives and targets.

e. is documented, implemented and maintained and
communicated to all employees

f. is available to the public.

2 Planning of an EMS
Planning of an EMS includes the:

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 17


 Identification of significant environmental aspects and their
associated environmental impacts.

 Establishment of legal and regulatory requirements relevant to the
organizations activities, products and services.

 Development of quantifiable objectives and targets to reduce the
organizations significant impacts on the environment.

 Establishment or design and maintenance of environmental
management programmes, which include the proper allocation of
resources the means and specified time frames within which to
achieve stated objectives and targets.

3. Implementation and operation

 The development of training and awareness programmes.
 The allocation of roles and responsibilities within an predefined

management or organizational structure.
 Procedures and processes for handling internal and external

communications
 The creation of supporting documentation and documentation

control mechanisms
 Operational control procedures, and
 Emergency preparedness and response planning and testing.

4. Checking and corrective action
 Maintenance and continual improvement of the EMS including.

- The monitoring and measurement of operational and
management activities.

- Record keeping
- The creation of procedures to deal with non conformances

with the requirements of the standard, company policy and
legislation;

- The development of procedures, programmes and process
to prevent any repeat of non-conformances and

- EMS audit procedures and programmes.

4.5 Waste treatment

Catalysts used in the production of Ammonia contain solid wastes such
as hexavalent chromium, nickel, zinc, iron, and mineral supports. Minor
amounts of light hydrocarbons ammonia, hydrogen, and carbon oxides
may carbon oxides may be released due to leaks form flanges and
stuffing boxes, specialty during maintenance operations. Moreover,

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 18


partial oxidation and gasification processes in the production of
ammonia produce water with suspended and dissolved impurities.

Boiler blow downs and water treatment plant regeneration produce
liquid effluents and spent vacuum catalyst as a solid waste in the
production sulfuric acid.

Ammonia and fluorides are pollutants, which are given off in the steam
form the reaction, in the production of MAP and Dap. Liquid effluents
may contain nitrogen, phosphorus and fluorine in varied concentration

Fertilizer industries have to avail appropriate treatment and disposal
techniques, in order to reduce the impacts of wastes released to the
environment.

There are hierarchical options in the waste management route.
 Waste reduction at source
 Waste recycling and re-use
 Recovery of raw material and/ or of energy
 Treatment of wastes.
 Disposal of the residues form treatment, and of other unavoidable

waste.

Treatment of waste is thus one option in the waste management route.
The treatment of wastes serves two purposes.

I. The recovery of materials and/or of energy content of the
wastes and,

II. The conversion of wastes to a form that permits its ultimate
disposal in a safe and responsible manner.

Focus has to be given to the following components of the waste
management cycle, after wastes have been mixec, packaged, stored
and collected form the point of generation

 Transportation of wastes to a treatment facility.
 Reception, acceptance and storage at the facility.
 Treatment of wastes to convert them into a form suitable for safe

disposal.
 Transpiration of treated wastes to the final disposal site.
 Reception, acceptance and deposition at final disposal site.

Waste treatment process options can be categorized into four basic
types: -

A. Physical treatment
e.g. screening, sedimentation, filtration, etc.

B. Chemical treatment
e.g Neutralization precipitation, oxidation/ reduction, etc.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 19


C. Biological treatment
e.g Anaerobic digestion, composting, activated sludge etc.

D. Thermal treatment
e.g. Wet air oxidation, pyrolysis, incineration, etc.

4.6 Incineration and landfills
Incineration
Incineration's major purpose is to reduce the volume of waste
another benefit, only recently achieved, is the use of the energy
released by burning to produce either electricity or steam for
heating buildings. Another term commonly used for this
technology is energy recovery, or waste-to energy, became the
heat-derived form incinerated refuse is a useful resource.

The problems with these waste-to energy processes have been
their costs (construction and maintenance of facilities), concern of
air pollution, and hazardous components in ash (such as dioxins,
toxic components in both bottom components and fey ash). In
cineration can reduce the volume of discards by as much as 90
percent and weight by less than 10 percent.

Landfills

Landfills were formerly referred to more mundanely as rubbish
dumps. Landfill is the practice of disposing of waste material by
placing them in an excavation and usually covering them with soil
or other non-waste material. The excavation can be above or
below the water table, in aquifers or in poorly permeable
formations, and can be lined or unlined. Landfills with an
impermeable clay and/or plastic lining that, underlies and encloses
the storages area can be uses a site for disposing wastes that
generated in the production process of fertizers. Discarded
fertilizers form stores or warehouse can also be disposed in
properly managed landfills.

4.7 Education and awareness

The role environmental education and awareness plays in the
reduction of risks caused by the misuse and mismanagement of
fertilizers cannot be under emphasized. Seminars, panel
discussions, workshops, drama, folktales, etc. can be used to

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 20


educate and sensitize people that are engaged in the production,
distribution process, as well as end users of fertilizers.

Brochures, leaflets, magazines, radio, television, etc, are also
some of the media that can be used to aware even the larger
public, about the potential risks of fertilizer production and use
and the care to be taken.

4.8 Judicial application of fertilizers

Over their life cycle, plants require different nutrients with varying
intensity, when the supply does not cover, the demand, yields are
lower and in case of oversupply the unused parts of nutrients may
pollute the environment. Plant nutrient supply from various
sources should cover immediate plant nutrient demand. If the
risks from leaching, volatilization, identification or fixations are
high, such as in rain, tropical climates, it is important to operate in
a supply/demand mode rather than in terms of total nutrient
doses.

Important considerations has to be taken when planning for application
of fertilizers:

 Which commercial fertilizer should be used
 When it should be applied
 How it should be applied.

Which commercial fertilizer to use:- The selection of a suitable fertilizer
depends largely.

 The essential element level of the soil with respect to the
contents of the fertilizer

 The essential element requirement of the crop, and
 The season of the year i.e. the influence of the

temperature of the soil on the natural nitrate–nitrogen supply on a
considerable period of the year.

When the fertilizer should be applied. It is essential to recognize that
when fertilizers could be up taken and utilized by the crop.

How the fertilizer should be applied: - Any commercial fertilizer may be
applied in various ways. Principal methods are:

 Broadcast
 Row
 Side placement
 Perforated and
 Liquid

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 21


 Broadcast method:- In this method, fertilizer is applied evenly
over the entire surface of the soil. It is usually done after the land is
plowed and just before it is harrowed, since harrowing mixes the
fertilizer with the upper 8 to 10 centimeters of the soil.

 Row method:- the fertilizer is applied to the bottom of the furrow a
week or 10 days before the seed or plants are planted. The
fertilizer is either mixed or not mixed with the soil, and usually the
land is ridged. This places the fertilizer directly below the plants.

 Side-placement method- in this method, the fertilizer is applied in
a continuous band on one or both sides of the row of seed plants.
Thus, relatively large quantities of essential raw materials are
available during the early stages of growth.

 Perforated method- this method is used to apply fertilizers to
mainly ornamental trees. This method consists of making small
holes about 30 to 46 centimeters deep around the base of the tree
and, at the same time, placing a definite amount of fertilizer in
each hole.

 Liquid method- in this method, soluble fertilizer is applied in
solution with water.

4.9 Integrated plant Nutrition systems (IPNS)

Plant nutrients are in the soil, in manure and crop residues forming
part of the nutrient flow. Nutrients stored in soils are available for
crops, but those in crop residues and organic manure’s are only
available as they are broken down by bacteria. Integrated Plant
Nutrient Systems (IPNS) seek to balance the nutrients available to
a farmer from all sources, including mineral fertilizers, to make
optimal use of them.

Organic matter helps to maintain good physical soil structured and
micro fauna needed for water-holding capacity, aeration and the
conditions to supply nutrients to plants. There is no fundamental
difference where plant nutrients come from organic or mineral
fertilizers. However, organic sources help maintain soil structure
and texture, usually involve minimal direct cost to the farmer and
when combined with the careful application of mineral fertilizers,
enhances their effect on yield and helps to compensate for
nutrients lost in food production.

Many farmers do not achieve good yield because the fertilizer
supply is inadequate to meet demand, the range of fertilizers is

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 22


limited and delivery is unreliable. Inappropriate applications can
be counter-productive and the non-availability of nutrients at
certain stages can reduce the beneficial effects of previous
applications. For example, mango is fertilized to enhance
flowering, but if insufficient nutrients are available during ripening,
fruits fall from the tree before they are ripe.

It is therefore necessary to address the problems of plant nutrition
in an integrated way and maintain the overall balance and flow of
soil nutrients, seeking maximum efficiency and reducing waste
and loss. To this end, research education and training activities
should be more focused on the promotion and application of IPNS.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 23


Chapter V

5. Capacity building

5.1 Institutional and infrastructure need.

As concern grows for maintaining and improving the quality of the
environment and protecting the human health, fertilizer
manufacturing enterprises, large-scale users of fertilizers and
those engaged in the distribution of the same, have to turn their
attention to the potential environmental impacts of their activities
products or services.

To achieve sound environmental performance, organizations have
to be committed to organize and/or reorganize functional units
and departments that could directly involve in the management of
the environment. Installation of treatment plants, waste
management strategies, storage and disposal facilities, and other
appropriate infrastructure have to be put in place.

The other most important element is the establishment of
effective environmental management system, which can assist
organizations to achieve environmental and economic goals.
Establishing monitoring procedures and laboratories is also
essential.

5.2 Human resource development

Trained human resources are of significance importance to sustain
the environmental performance of fertilizer industries and the
utilization of the product. Thus, establishing and maintaining
programmes for educational and training in measures, that could
capacitate to reduce and/or mitigate potential environmental
impacts that could be posed in the production and use of
fertilizers.

5.3 Networking

Exchange of information form all available sources regarding the
production, use and management of fertilizers is important. Such
exchange of information shall include.
 New innovations and development technologies
 Research findings


 Indigenous and traditional knowledge
 Biotechnology, etc.

Check lists on fertilizer production and use.

Annex 1

The following checklists are designed to establish whether a proposed
project is likely to have negative impacts on the environment. All
possible negative impacts must be assessed in detail in relation to the
projects positive impacts.

Will the project: -
 Lead to a substantial use of manure that can cause desire

through human contact?
 Lead to nitrate or ammonia toxicity to humor or animals?
 Result in the transport of nutrients off-site via-off, erosion

or leaching?
 Lead to nutrient transport that causes algal blooms,

growth of aquatic weeds, and ultimately cause oxygen depletion in
water bodies?

 Lead to a substantial pollution of water, air and soil?
 Have a negative effect on surface and ground water

quality?
 Cause acute and/or long-term health hazards for

personnel handling chemicals, in the production, storage and
application?

 Use and/or produce raw material. Or products that can
have occupational health effects?

 Emit and/or dispose chemicals that are toxic to humans,
animals and the environment/

 Require large land surface for disposal of waster?
 Employ possible alternatives in the production process, e.

g cleaner production, good house keeping, etc, Environmental
management system, etc?

 Envisage alternative agriculture, application of bio-
fertilizers, & incorporating judicial application of in
organic fertilizers, in large-scale farming?

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 19


Environmental Approaches.
Annex 2

1 Fertilizer Specifications

Specifications are the requirements with which a fertilizer
should conform, as agreed upon between buyer and seller.
Fertilizer specifications meet differing requirements depending
on the use or intent of the specification information.

Specification are normally used in the contract between the
buyer and seller of a fertilizer to ensure agreement on product
characteristics or more often to define the product in sufficient
detail to effect the satisfaction of both buyer and seller.

More commonly when one refers to specification, it is to
specifications that have legal implications for buyers and sellers
of large quantities of materials.

A well-written fertilizer specification should include the following
elements in detail.

1. Nutrient contents and concentrations
2. Nutrient chemical composition
3. Moisture content
4. Partial size distribution
5. Physical condition
6. Solubility and/or availability
7. Conditioner
8. Special limitations pertaining to photo tonic production by

products or additives
9. Packaging details if any
10. Methodology used in quantifying or qualifying items 1

through 9

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 20


11. Penalties or discounts for deviation form the stated values of
conditions.

2 Industrial Health and Safety

Unsafe situations and technological accidents are due mostly to
poor cooperation between different units, poor inspection, unclear
instructions and responsibilities, lack of trained employees etc.
The company must identify the major hazard and risks, determine
how they can be controlled and establish emergency plans to
prepare employees to deal with accidents, which could be
dangerous for themselves, the surrounding population and the
environment. Local communities should be informed; fertilizer
associations, local authorities and the government should also be
involved.

3 Safety legislation and regulation

Fertilizer production includes the manufacture of toxic chemicals
(ammonia), strong mineral acids (sulpheric, nitric and phosphoric)
and oxidizing agents (ammonia nitrate) in large quantities. At the
various stages of manufacture, distribution and use, several
thousands of tones of such chemicals are stored and handled.

Health and safety regulation fail into a number of categories, each,
with ists own special requirements. Examples are the control of
substances hazardous to health and the control of major
accidents. The former deals mainly with the effects of the people
handling the chemicals and the latter with the effects on third
parties.

Process workers and consumers are protected through various
regulations, the aim of which is to ensure that the health risks
created during the manufacture or, arising during storage and use,
such as dent and toxic fumes are both understood and kept to a
minimum. Thus, most of this type of legislation is concerned with
information. That is the information, which must be given at all
stages of the chain from production to end-use. Information is
given in two ways through labeling and safety data sheets.

4 Safety data sheet

Products (or material) safety data sheets serve two purposes as
they inform those concerned in handling chemicals of the hazards
involved and they also provide the basis for risk assessments.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 21


Safety data sheets should be provided at all stages in the
distribution chain and some countries have required their sue
under legislation.

In addition to the normal production properties, safety data sheets
are required to provide health hazard and eco-toxicological
information, which is generally difficult to obtain and interpret.

5 Safety training

Plant safety involves the development of safe working procedures
to protect the work force, and training of all employees in health
and safety procedures. Personnel.
The training can cover

 Staff awareness of workplace hazards
 Health and safety routines and procedures
 Emergency procedures
 First aid
 Incident reporting
 Accident prevention and safe conduct

6 Fertilizer safety publications/safety manual for fertilizer
plants.

Fertilizer manufactures have to provide information on safety
practice by preparing manuals. The manual can provide, among
other things, information on.

 General safe practices
 Hazards and their handling
 Fire prevention
 Safety aspects in different plants
 Safety inspections
 Guidelines for a disaster management plan

7. Preparing contingency plan

To prepare a contingency plan the following information is
necessary

 Identification and analysis of hazards and risk assessment
 Definition of the emergency response resources
 Instructions on the emergency actions.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 22


Annex-3

Handling, Storage and Transportation of fertilizers
Fertilizer Handling

Handling is an activity, which can be defined as the manual and/or
mechanized movement under during the transport of fertilizer from
factory or port to the end user.

 Bags must be treated so that it should not deteriorate
causing spillages loses in their content.

 Care should be taken when lifted, loaded or unloaded
 Handling methods which result in damage to bags when

using hooks must be eliminated
 Damaged bags spill out fertilizer contents and exposed to

humidity, rain and sun.
 Check vehicles before starting to load (nails, splinter can

be removed
 Lay water proof paper, matting or straw to protect the

package
 Bags stacked need the doors; badly stacked bags can slip

during transit over rough roods or even in the store itself.

Bagging

Correct packaging protects the fertilizer against humidity and bad
weather conditions; it eases handling transportation and storage;
it simplifies identification and finally it eases use by the end user.

Storage

Another important activity is storing and carefully maintaining
fertilizers under optimum conditions for delivery and use at the
moment they are used.

The principal action to be taken by dealers and store man to
rationalize storage relate to the storage area and stacking of bags,

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 23


how to protect them so as to ensure that the fertilizers remain in
good conditions, control of stocks and rotation of bags.

The following should be considered in storage

 Keep fertilizers in an orderly fashion
 Stack the bags properly
 Leave a space (of 10cm) between each bag to provide

ventilation
 Make allowance of a central corridor (1m wide) to

facilitate movement and handling of bags in the store.
 Allow space (20-30) cm between the stacks and the walls

of the store to prevent the fertilizer coming into contact with damp
walls.

 Avoid direct contact between he fertilizer and the soil
(earth floors)

 Install a false floor which isolates the stack of fertilizer
from the moist soil and at the same guarantees aeration (bricks,
wooden slats, etc)

 Use locally available materials; such as bamboo mating,
rice hulls, straw, old sacks, etc).

 In the case of ammonium nitrate, on account of the
explosion hazard, it is not recommended to stack this fertilizer on
top of organic materials such as straw etc. It can be stacked,
however, on a wooden plat from.

 Where bags are stacked near windows facing the sun and
liable to be exposed to prolonged sunlight, it is recommended that
the window should be darkened by using news paper or old sacks,
or by painting the pens of the glass black.

 In periods of high humidity, ventilators, opening windows
and doors must be kept firmly shut.

 The store should only be ventilated during certain hours
of the day when the ambient humidity is low and the temperature
is high. In this way, condensation of water vapors in the store will
be avoided.

 Fertilizers should always be stored on a floor, that is kept
by continually brushing away any spilled fertilizer or other spilled
material, because they hold the dumped cause deterioration of the
floor and/or the walls.

Transport

Controls on the transport of fertilizers are limited to those products,
which are classified as hazardous (dangerous) goods. In general terms
this means those products classified as “oxidizing’ due to the high
concentration of ammonium nitrate. (UN classification Group 5.1).

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 24


Ammonia is classified as 2.3 (toxic gas), phosphoric and sulphuric acid
class 8 (corrosion). There is a much smaller group of products which
can exhibit self sustaining decomposition, where thermal decomposition,
one stared, will continue even if the source of heat has been removed.
Such products, which include NPK fertilizers based on ammonium
nitrate, are known as “cigar burners” (\UN classification group 9 type B if
the decomposition continues, type C if it stops).

Probably the most important aspect of all the transport legislation and
the one which is common to all modes of transport, is the need for
careful labeling of packages so that type and degree of hazard can be
readily identified in any country. In the case of bulk loads, by land or
sea, the relevant information must be included in the documentation
which must stay with the material and be readily available to the
authorities at all times.

Sea Transport

All sea transport is governed by IMO which is supported by all maritime
nations in the world. Regular updating of the IMDG Code ensures that
new materials and hazards are covered. The Code imposes restrictions
on the types of vessel, which may be used, the quantities, which may be
carried, and the form in which they may be handled.

Classification is based on a number of properties such as explosive,
oxidizing and toxic, with appropriate methods of test to establish the
classification. Within the classifications products, such as fertilizers,
may be sub-classified according to composition. The IMDG Code is also
concerned with other hazards such as cargo stability and provides test
methods for properties such as the angle of repose of bulk materials.

Classification of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) Based Fertilizers
The fertilizers described below are classified as oxidizing because they
assist the combustion of other materials. Packaged materials will carry
the “oxidizing agent” label, with a yellow diamond symbol, UN class 5,
division 5.1.

Type Fertilizer Mixture AN Content
Combustible Material

Not more than
A1 AN+ added matter 90%or more

0.2 %
(inorganic & chemically inert) 70-90% 0.4%

A2 AN + calcium carbonate and
/or dolomite 80-90% 0.4%

A3 AN + ammonium sulphate 45-70% 0.4%

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 25


A4 AN + nitrogen/ phosphate/
potash sources 70-90% 0.4%

Road Transport

Internal transport is normally covered by national regulations which may
be based on international agreements such as ADR in Europe. Such
regulations not only cover the labeling of the products but also the
definitive marking of the vehicles, specification of the documentation
required and, in many cases the need for driver training in case of
emergencies.

Rail Transport
As with road transport, internal rail movements are normally subject to
local regulation, with cross border transport covered by international
agreements such as the RID in Europe. These agreements also cover
the labeling of packaged goods and transport documentation.

Inland Waterway Transport.
Cross-border traffic is covered by international agreements such as the
European provisions concerning the international carriage of dangerous
goods by inland waterways (AND) or regional agreements such as the
Regulations for the carriage of dangerous substances on the Rhine
(ADNR).

Air Transport
Because of the large-scale trade in fertilizer materials, there is virtually
no air transport of fertilizers apart from small sample quantities. Such
transport is covered by the International Air Transport Association
( IATA) rules.

Handling and Storage
The potential for major incidents arising form fires in stores containing
large quantities of fertilizers forms the basis for their inclusion in Storage
legislation. In some countries such as Germany, Finland and the
Netherlands, the maximum quantity of ammonium nitrate which can be
stored in individual heaps is 100 tones. This makes the marketing of
straight ammonium nitrate fertilizer commercially non-viable in those
countries.

A more recent development within the UK has been the linking of local
planning consents to the presence of stores and other sites where
dangerous chemicals are kept, handled or produced. Exclusion zones
have been declared around such sites, within which building may be
restricted.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 26


References

Chr. Oluf Pockman, Ola Kaarstad, etal, (1990). Agriculture and fertilizers,
agricultural Group, Norsk Hydro A,s, Oslo Norway.

CSA and National fertilizer Industry agency, (1998) report on National
fertilizer bench Mark Addis Ababa.

CSA, (2004) Executive summary on the 2001/2001 Ethiopian Agricultural
Sample Enumeration, Addis Ababa.

CSIR, (1999) Guideline document, Environmental assessment and
Management, Addis Ababa, EPA.

EPA, (2003) Environmental Impact Assessment Procedural guideline
(draft) Addis Ababa.

EPA, (1997) Federal Policy on the Environment, (V.II) Addis Ababa.

EPA & MEDAC, (1997) Environmental Policy, Addis Ababa.

Edmond, J.B. T.L. Senn, etal.(1957) Fundamentally of Horticulture, Tata
Mc Graw-Hill publishing company Ltd. New Delhi.

FAO, (1999) fertilizer Strategies, International Fertilizer Industry
Association, Rome.

FAO,(1988) Manual on Fertilizer Distribution, Rome.

FAO, (1996) Food Production and Environmental Impact, Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

IDA, UNIDO and UNEP, (1998) Mineral Fertilizer Production and the
Environment ( Part 2) Environmental Management system, United
Nations Publications.

NORAD, (1993_) Environmental Impact Assessment of Development AID
Projects, Reclama, OSLO.

SIDA, (1998) Guideline for Environmental Impact Assessment in
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Tsidale, Samuel L. Werner L. Nelson and James D. Beaton, (1985)

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 27


Soil Fertility and fertilizers (4thed) Macmillan Publishing Company
New York.

UNIDO, and International Fertilizer Development center (IFDL), (1979)
fertilizer Manul, Kulwer Academic publishers, Netherlands.

UNIDO, (1994) the need for ecologically sustainable industrial
Development, Austria.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINE, FEPA, 2004 28


GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Introduction
Chapter I
Crop production and Fertilizers
1.1 Plant nutrients
Plants are supplied with nutrients mainly from
Organic versus commercial fertilizers


1.2 Environmental issues related to production and use of
Fertilizers
1.3 Causes of Fertilizer contamination and Environmental
Impacts.

Chapter II
2. Policies and legal framework
2.1 National policies
2.2 National Laws
2.2.1 The constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
2.2.2 Environmental Impact assessment Proclamation
2.2.3 Pollution Control Proclamation

2.3. International conventions

Chapter III
3.1 Impacts on vegetative cover
3.2 Impacts on the soil
3.3 Impacts on aquatic ecosystems
3.4 Impacts on human health

Chapter IV
4. Risk management measures
4.1 Mitigation measure for major adverse impacts
4.2 Alternatives
4.3 Use of Cleaner production technology
4.4 Environmental Management System (EMS)

1. Environmental Policy
2 Planning of an EMS
3. Implementation and operation
4. Checking and corrective action
4.5 Waste treatment
4.6 Incineration and landfills
4.7 Education and awareness
4.8 Judicial application of fertilizers
Important considerations has to be taken when planning for application of fertilizers:

4.9 Integrated plant Nutrition systems (IPNS)

Chapter V
5.1 Institutional and infrastructure need.
5.2 Human resource development
5.3 Networking

Check lists on fertilizer production and use.
Annex 1
Annex 2

1 Fertilizer Specifications
2 Industrial Health and Safety
3 Safety legislation and regulation
4 Safety data sheet
5 Safety training
6 Fertilizer safety publications/safety manual for fertilizer plants.
7. Preparing contingency plan
Annex-3

References