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Bernalillo County Denies Fertilizer Plant Application

An irrigation ditch borders the site of the proposed fertilizer plant

Bernalillo County rejected the application this week of a Florida company, Humic Growth Solutions, that wants to build a fertilizer plant next to a residential neighborhood south of Albuquerque.  

Zoning Administrator Juanita Garcia issued her decision Tuesday, saying the information the company provided in its application was too vague, and did not address the health and safety concerns of people living nearby.

Neighbors and environmental justice advocates applauded the decision.

"We definitely don’t see decisions like this every day," said Juan Reynosa of the Southwest Organizing Project. "People in these areas have been fighting these types of facilities in their communities for decades now. Things like this impact their health, and they already have too many of these polluting industries in their neighborhood."        

The proposed location for the plant is in an area zoned for heavy industry. There are homes just a hundred feet away with a public park and a school bus stop nearby. The fertilizer company has until next month to appeal the county’s decision.

Ed Williams came to KUNM in 2014 by way of Carbondale, Colorado, where he worked as a public radio reporter covering environmental issues. Originally from Austin, Texas, Ed has reported on environmental, social justice, immigration and Native American issues in the U.S. and Latin America for the Austin American-Statesman, Z Magazine, NPR’s Latino USA and others. In his spare time, look for Ed riding his mountain bike in the Sandias or sparring on the jiu-jitsu mat.
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