Starke County ethanol plant moving forward

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BY SUSAN ERLER
serler@nwitimes.com
219.548.4349 | Thursday, January 10, 2008 | (3 comment(s))

A Fishers, Ind., firm is proceeding with plans for an ethanol plant near San Pierre in Starke County despite hurdles.

"We still plan to move forward with it," Robert Swain, of Bioenergy Development Inc., said.

The company in November was granted a conditional permit by the Starke County Board of Zoning Appeals for a $62 million plant with capacity to produce 27 million gallons of ethanol.

Company officials were buoyed by the December passage of a new U.S. energy bill, which calls for expanded production of renewable fuels, Swain said.

"It ratchets up the fuel standard," Swain said. "That gives us some positive incentive."

The bill sets higher fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks and requires the production of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022, nearly five times current ethanol production levels.

Swain said the proposal for the ethanol plant is making its way through a list of conditions imposed by the BZA, including proof the plant would comply with environmental and other regulations.

The company also would be required to mitigate any loss of well water in the area.

"There was nothing onerous placed on us," Swain said of the conditions in the permit. "The hoops are things we would normally do anyway."

Neighbors opposed to the plant joined in a lawsuit filed last month in Starke County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit calls on the court to review the legal basis of the county zoning board's decision, said Kim Ferraro, the attorney representing members of the Kankakee Valley Stop the Ethanol Plant group.

The lawsuit contends the plant would not fall within the agricultural processing use permissible under the zoning designation, Ferraro said.

A judicial review is expected within three to five months, Ferraro said.

Bioenergy Development believes the Starke County site near San Pierre is "a very favorable one," surrounded by Indiana counties with capacity for producing nearly 65 million bushels of corn annually. However, the company is not committed totally to the site, Swain said.

The plant would be the second to open in the Northwest Indiana region. Iroquois Bio-Energy opened in early 2007 in Rensselaer.

Plans are to power the Starke County plant using wood waste, which reduces operating costs in the face of rising corn prices, Swain said.

If an ethanol plant is built at the site, Bioenergy Development hopes to have it up and running in the first quarter of 2009.

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Roxie wrote on Feb 14, 2008 4:56 PM:

" Sounds good, so try to sneak it by under "agricultural processing plant" and with a "conditional use permit". When that doesn't work, treat the overwhelming majority of people at the public hearing, who either don't want this in their community or are unsure, but have genuine concerns, like second class citizens. Vote it through in a marathon session, without any regard for the effect it will have on the community, good or bad. Give the people comfort by letting the corporation downplay the negatives and exaggerate the positives. As far as plenty of water, just because there is massive flooding close to this plant, doesn't mean there will be enough ground water for a 24 hr a day ethanol plant. With the incentives these plants recieve and the issues they raise, the economic gains will not be great for those that truly need it. We could argue all day if this is good or bad, neither side would win a 100 percent victory. What is a bigger issue here is the way certain people in our county government pushed this through at all costs, this is what needs to be investigated, period. "

Ric wrote on Feb 9, 2008 8:34 PM:

" Plenty of corn production in Starke county's Kankakee valley (not to mention, plenty of water!) and a desperate need for economic development in the area make a good match between the ethanol industry & our community. This type of industry can provide an additional market for local farmers, increase employment for citizens, increase the nation's supply of motor fuels and create a new tax base for local government. "

cuddlekitten wrote on Jan 19, 2008 4:57 PM:

" An ethanol plant is a bio-refinery which is an industry- why is it not going in one of the county's industrial parks?? "

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