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Keep your eyes open for fertilizer theft
By Joe Raff Texas Cooperative Extension agent, Agriculture, Wichita County Every year about this time I have always written about fertilizer theft. Even though I know this goes on all the time--until it happens to you--you really don't pay as close attention to things. Unfortunately, if it isn't nailed down and locked up, someone will try to steal it. And I have personally found out that even if it is nailed down and locked up, and even behind a locked gate--they will still try to 'lift' it. As most of you know, there are two main uses for stolen fertilizer: explosives and drugs. And we know it is happening around the area with alarming regularity. These are vitally important topics in our world today and it is essential that we do all we can to make it difficult for thieves to misuse fertilizer. It is widely known that ammonium nitrate can make a powerful explosive if mixed, handled and stored in certain ways. It is used legally for a number of legitimate purposes, such as construction. It is not as widely known that urea also can be used to make a very powerful explosive. Using urea to make explosives is a very unstable compound, something that is more powerful and less stable than nitroglycerine. The bottom line is that if you store ammonium nitrate or urea on the farm make sure they are placed in a secure area that can be easily monitored by you. Do not put them in old buildings far away from areas you frequently visit. Report any suspicious people around the fertilizer area to local law enforcement agencies. Possibly the most bizarre thing that I have heard of is the use of commonly used fertilizers to manufacture illegal drugs? Why would anyone want to inhale, eat, inject or in anyway ingest fertilizer? Anyway, the commonly used fertilizer (for these morons) in the manufacturing process is anhydrous ammonia. Drug manufacturers are especially desperate to obtain anhydrous ammonia since it is the easiest fertilizer source to use in making the drug methamphetamine. They will stoop to incredible feats of stupidity to obtain the material. For those that are not familiar with anhydrous ammonia, it is a liquid stored in strong steel tanks at very high pressure and very low temperatures. When exposed to normal temperatures and pressures, it becomes a gas. This gas is very damaging to the eyes and lungs, and is quite unpleasant to any other exposed skin it touches. When farmers apply anhydrous, they inject it directly from the storage tank deep into the soil through specially-designed knives and hoses. This insures that the farmer does not have to handle it. In the drug manufacturers zeal to obtain anhydrous, they will try to store the material in glass jars, thermos jugs, ice chests and soft drink bottles. Keep in mind that handling anhydrous in any other way other than a closed system is stupid and extremely dangerous. While the law of natural selection should eventually take care of this problem, there are things you can do to help law enforcement. The Fertilizer Institute has published a list of steps for farmers to follow: --Be alert. Keep an eye out for unfamiliar or suspicious people attempting to purchase anhydrous ammonia from you or your neighbors. --Immediately report releases of ammonia to local police --Position tanks in open areas where they can easily be seen from the road --Return tanks to fertilizer dealership immediately after use --Watch for items left behind such as duct tape, buckets, ice chests, garden hoses, and bicycle inner tubes --Watch for, and report, suspicious looking people around your fertilizer tanks. They may be checking out the premises for a late-night withdraw. --Buy and install locks for the anhydrous ammonia valves and tanks. If you have any questions about this article you can call me at the office at 940-716-8610, stop by on the second floor of the court house annex on 6th and Scott, Wichita Falls, Texas, or e-mail at j-raff@tamu.edu. Remember that you can read my articles at http://wichita-tx.tamu.edu , www.trnonline.org and www.joetomwhite.com and click on the county agents report. B 9 1/29/07 5 Star OK Date: 1/25/07
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