BISMARCK, N.D. – A new law that creates a licensing provision for anhydrous ammonia mobile storage containers went into effect on Aug. 1. A mobile storage container is defined as a U.S. Department of Transportation class MC-331 cargo tank, or an American Society of Mechanical Engineers code-constructed and National Board-registered mobile storage container, approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, used for the temporary storage of anhydrous ammonia to be downloaded into a nurse tank.
“Anhydrous ammonia storage facilities are very costly to construct and are a huge investment,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “Using mobile storage containers for mobile downloading into nurse tanks during the season provides farmers and dealers with more affordable options compared to building new or expanding storage at existing permanent storage facilities.”
Goehring said the North Dakota Department of Agriculture will be licensing mobile storage containers for the purposes of downloading anhydrous ammonia into nurse tanks in the field. The licensing fee for a private mobile storage container is $25 and the fee for a retail mobile storage container is $100.
The licensing requirements pertain to both private farmers and commercial businesses. Only mobile storage containers performing mobile downloading into nurse tanks need to be licensed. Mobile downloading into nurse tanks out of a mobile storage container without a license is a violation.
The new licensing requirements require approval from local authorities just like permanent storage facility licenses. Users will need to designate mobile downloading sites so local authorities are aware of where mobile downloading is taking place for emergency response planning purposes.
Those who are planning to use mobile storage containers for mobile downloading into nurse tanks should contact Eric Delzer at the North Dakota Department of Agriculture at 701-328-1508 or 800-242-7535 to start the licensing process.