By Colin Kellaher


Compass Minerals International on Monday said the U.S. Forest Service won't use the company's aerial fire retardants for the 2024 fire season over concerns that the magnesium chloride-based products are damaging the agency's aircraft.

Compass said the USFS found significant signs of corrosion in areas of its firefighting airtankers where a buildup of the retardant had occurred.

Compass said the USFS won't discuss a new contract until the National Transportation Safety Board and National Institute of Standards and Technology conduct a coordinated, independent assessment of the findings, and the Overland Park, Kan., company said it is assuming that the magnesium chloride-based formulation "will not be utilized for the foreseeable future in the fight against wildfires."

Compass said it is working to achieve full USFS qualification of non-magnesium chloride-based aerial fire-retardant products.


Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

03-25-24 0743ET