OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Compass Minerals (NYSE: CMP), a global provider of essential minerals, is facing a setback as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has decided not to contract the company's magnesium chloride-based aerial fire retardants for the 2024 fire season.
This decision came after an inspection revealed significant corrosion in airtankers that used the company's products.
The USFS informed Compass Minerals on March 22, 2024, that the scope and terms for a new contract could not be established until an independent assessment by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducted.
The inspections, part of the USFS's Integrated Operational Field Evaluation (I-OFE), showed corrosion where the retardant had accumulated, leading to aircraft safety concerns.
Edward C. Dowling Jr., president and CEO of Compass Minerals, expressed disappointment but agreed with the USFS's emphasis on safety. The company, which had its Fortress North America's FR-100 Powder and FR-200 Liquid Concentrate products listed on the USFS's Qualified Product List in December 2022, is now assuming that their magnesium chloride-based formulation will not be used in the near future for wildfire control.
In May 2023, Fortress had secured a contract to provide up to five mobile-deployed fire-retardant air tanker bases for the 2023 wildfire season. Negotiations for the 2024 season were underway when the corrosion issues emerged.
Compass Minerals is now focusing on achieving full qualification for its non-magnesium chloride-based aerial fire-retardant products. The company, with 12 production and packaging facilities and nearly 2,000 employees, is also committed to developing innovative and environmentally friendly solutions for long-term fire retardancy.
This article is based on a press release statement from Compass Minerals.
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