Environmental Impacts of Products
Use of fertilizer results in some GHG emissions and, if applied in excess, fertilizer can impact water quality. PotashCorp works directly with users (and indirectly though trade associations) to educate customers on the proper application of its products, stressing the need to avoid using more than is necessary.
The company also manufactures products with significant environmental benefits in the areas of emission control, water treatment and heavy metal remediation.
POTASHCORP PRODUCTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS |
|
Emission Control Products |
Uses/Users |
| Urea | Used by coal–burning power plants |
| Aqua Ammonia | Used at industrial sites requiring NOx reduction |
| Urea Liquor (50% urea) | Used at industrial sites requiring NOx reduction |
| NOxOUT–A™ | Used at industrial sites requiring NOx reduction |
Water Treatment Products |
Uses/Users |
| Green Phosphoric Acid Phosphoric Acid Polyphosphate |
Used for water treatment at: Pulp and paper mills Refineries Chemical plants |
| Hydrofluorasilicic Acid | Used by municipalities to add fluoride to water supplies |
Heavy Metal Remediation Products |
Uses/Users |
| Phosfil | Prevents leaching of heavy metals through the soil or river/lake bottoms |
| Amber Phosphoric Acid | Used for roadway heavy metal remediation |
Product Reclamation/Recycling
Fertilizer products provide nutrients to the land and are used by plants. None of these are reclaimable. Products sold as animal feed and industrial applications are also inputs.
Indirect Environmental Impacts
Environmental Impacts of Transportation
PotashCorp's operations involve three transportation activities with environmental impact that is not monitored: receiving materials from suppliers, distributing product to customers and transportation used in the course of conducting business.
Environmental Performance of Suppliers
Prequalification, selection and retention criteria have been established for contractors, service providers and suppliers, including a system for assuring their compliance with PotashCorp's SHE expectations.
If an environmental or other incident occurs as a result of a contractor's activities, a summary report is issued immediately. The company also performs a root cause investigation which includes corrective actions that the contractor is responsible for implementing. The incident is recorded in the contractor's file.