Naturally Occurring

In 1996, Howard Hamilton, Arland Moger, and Bob Nelson, all grain farmers from Currie, Minnesota, formed Environmental Dust Control, Inc. (EDC) which uses a soy-based product to suppress wild dust and gravel. EDC began in response to the Minnesota Legislative session of 1988, which banned the use of waste petroleum oil as a dust suppressant on gravel roads. EDC’s product, DUSTLOCK, is a naturally occurring by-product of the vegetable oil refining process that, when formulated correctly, is an excellent dust suppressant in almost any application.

It is biodegradable and non-corrosive, meaning that it will not contaminate surrounding ground or water nor will it harm valuable equipment. EDC has already applied more than half a million pounds of it in Minnesota and the Dakotas – on worksites, around lakes and in residential areas where dust can be a problem. As for the formation and work of EDC, its secretary and treasurer Arland Moger states that “we felt this [EDC] was something we could do to promote the use of an ag byproduct that we were directly involved in producing.”

Effective and Easy to Use

Ease of application and its tremendous effectiveness allows the product to be used anywhere with a dust problem. DUSTLOCK is formulated to be sprayed on, but it can also be applied by hand with common household tools such as weed sprayers or sprinkling cans. Some examples of uses are:

* gravel roads,
* alleys,
* quarries,
* truck terminals,
* airports,
* race tracks,
* lumber yards,
* driveways,
* campgrounds,
* fairgrounds,
* public water access,
* machine sheds and
* feed piles.

Unlike calcium and magnesium chlorides or petroleum- based suppressants, DUSTLOCK penetrates into the bed of the material it is applied to and “bonds”, making a barrier that is naturally biodegradable. Removal agents are soap and water, or, in extreme cases, over-the-counter mineral spirits. Not only is this product an effective, environmentally friendly method of dust control, it has long-term benefits and usage will keep applied areas virtually dust-free and environmentally safe. While some of its special formation, residual benefits are realized which means the next application will require less product and less maintenance. The impact on the environment is therefore reduced by the care EDC has taken in its formulation.

A Confident Future

EDC has learned lessons in their business and has had help from Agricultural Utilization Research Institute’s (AURI) Marshall, Minnesota office. One example of a lesson EDC learned is that not all soapstock (the vegetable oil and soybean refining process by-product DUSTLOCK is made from) has the same quality. For instance, if coconut oil is mixed in with the refining by-products, it changes the product’s effectiveness. “Instead of just accepting what the refiners send, we’ve learned to ask more about the quality and where it comes from,” Howard Hamilton says. “We need to know, so we can match our products with the needs of our customers.”

While EDC plans to expand, quality is an obstacle in their expansion plans. “Since the three of us can’t be everywhere at the same time, we need applicators who can cover the potential area out there, but that will be difficult until we can get a guaranteed supply,” comments Arlund Moger. However, EDC’s market is growing and AURI provides:

* product quality testing,
* business plan assistance and
* marketing help.

Working with AURI has benefited the business in many ways. “They’ve [AURI] asked us question we otherwise may not have asked ourselves,” reflects Moger.

Despite obstacles, EDC’s market is expanding and Hamilton, Moger, and Nelson feel confidant about its future. “At the end of each season, we’ve asked ‘Do we feel the market is there and that we should continue?’ We’ve answered yes all three years,” Hamilton states. Steve Olson, manager of AURI’s Marshall office also has confidence in EDC. “DUSTLOCK is environmentally friendly and renewable, plus it’s making use of a by-product that hasn’t had many uses…. they’re [EDC] taking measured steps, I think they [EDC] realize eventually they’re going to need to bring others in to help reach their potential,” affirms Olson.