The biggest environmental accomplishment last year at PotashCorp's Aurora, North Carolina phosphate facility was what didn't happen.

In 2007, the facility did not have a single regulatory permit excursion or Reportable Quantity Release.

The site usually has very few regulatory excursions, but a perfect year is remarkable. "Just consider that the facility goes through more than 40,000 measurements annually to show that it's complying with regulatory rules and permits," said Ross Smith, Aurora Manager of Environmental Affairs. Most of these measurements test the facility's gyp stacks, groundwater and water conveyance sources such as pipes and ditches, which are regulated by the US National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program.

"The only way to achieve this is to have total attention to detail, and a workforce that truly understands the concept of seeking no harm to the environment, every day," Smith said. "With our emphasis on discussing the facility's environmental impact, I'm sure everyone has really taken environmental compliance to heart."

The Aurora facility is seeking permits from the US Army Corps of Engineers to continue mining in the area. The process has involved community input and several environmental impact studies. The Army Corps is consulting with a review team of 11 federal and state agencies and two environmental organizations.

"As we go through this process, we are demonstrating to the community and to local, state and federal officials that we are good stewards of the land here in Aurora," Smith said. "I think our continued attention to regulatory compliance is a great example of how all of us at PotashCorp are dedicated to environmental stewardship."

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