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Last modified: Monday, May 4, 2009 10:25 AM CDT
Highway patrol to begin chemical haul
by Erin C. Hevern • Daily News
As the ground becomes primed for planting and spring weather enables farmers and ranchers to get into their fields to farm, motorists in North Dakota will begin to see farming chemicals hauled to locations statewide.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP) asks those hauling to exercise patience as they transport and work with hazardous farm chemicals, such as anhydrous ammonia.
"There's going to be a lot of people that are going to be anxious to get going once the weather and fields begin to cooperate," said NDHP Lieutenant Jody Skogen.
Skogen outlined several guidelines that any ranchers, farmers or ag businesses hauling chemicals should follow to ensure their safety as well as the public's.
Anyone towing may carry up to two portable tanks behind a farm tractor or truck and its overall length may not exceed 75 feet.
Tanks must be labeled in the front, rear and sides with the words anhydrous ammonia in capital letters and inhalation hazard, also in all capital letters, on both sides.
"This stuff is fairly unpleasant to be around, just the smallest amount can cause some pretty good inhalation irritation and damage," Skogen said.
Tanks must be placarded on all sides with approved North Dakota Department of Transportation "Non-Flammable Gas" cards, while also being marked with an the identification number 1005 for anhydrous ammonia.
Although spills or leaks have been rare in North Dakota, the NDHP says if a mishap occurs they should be approached from upwind and water should be sprayed on the point of discharge instead of on the tank.
"We've been pretty lucky out on the roadways as far as having any major mishaps, that I can recall," Skogen said. Any spills he's known to have occurred have been in-the-field type of mishaps.
According to Skogen, the motoring public has little to worry about. They should simply be aware the trucks hauling the ammonia are slow-moving and be cautionary while driving near them.
"They'll have the slow moving emblem on the back of the tank so they should anticipate that and be prepared for them to be turning at locations that aren't usual," Skogen said. "They'll be using field approaches and things like that."
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