Tough Questions For Ethanol

Many thanks to a concerned citizen who is helping me with research on the subject of Ethanol and the potential impact on our community. Check out this article from our neighbors to the south:

PORTSMOUTH MESSAGE ON ETHANOL PROPOSAL IS SIMPLE: GO AWAY
By MEGHAN HOYER, The Virginian-PilotPORTSMOUTH -- City leaders have a message for a company looking to build theworld's largest ethanol refinery just steps from Portsmouth's border: Wronglocation, wrong time.On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously opposed the ethanol plant and askedChesapeake's council to deny it a use permit unless the project's developercan "fully document that it will not adversely affect communitypreservation, quality of life, or public health."International Bio Energy Virginia LLC's proposed refinery would produce 216million gallons of ethanol a year at a riverfront site off Victory Boulevardless than a half-mile from residential neighborhoods. But the company stillhasn't answered crucial questions about pollutants, traffic, health concernsand its business model, Portsmouth council members said."The issues that we've identified are significant," Councilman Doug Smithsaid. "And we haven't been able to come up with a way to overcome thoseissues."We don't want to be the guinea pig."Portsmouth's opposition, however, doesn't mean the refinery project won't bebuilt.Because the plant would be built in Chesapeake, only that city's council hasthe power to reject the plant's use permit. Chesapeake's vote could come asearly as October.On Tuesday, Chesapeake City Manager William Harrell acknowledged that therewere still gaps in the city's information. The Chesapeake council asked citystaff to research the refinery's potential environmental impact and itswater usage.The council also heard from several residents opposed to the project. Chiefamong neighbors' concerns are worries about the plant's safety - ethanol canbe combustible - noise, traffic, and its odors and emissions.Before the Portsmouth council, engineer Rick Starnes, whose company isconsulting International Bio Energy Virginia, said the $400 million projectwould boost the local economy by providing jobs and creating clean fuel forVirginians. He insisted the company's technology is environmentally friendlyand safe.His comments were dismissed by council members."You're wasting your time trying to get us to do something that's certainlynot in the best interests of our citizens' health and well-being," Mayor JimHolley said. "It's an insult for you to come to a meeting - this thing hasbeen going on for two years... and you want us to double-cross our citizens?We're not going to do it."- - -Staff writer Mike Saewitz contributed to this report.Meghan Hoyer, (757) 446-2293, meghan.hoyer@pilotonline.com# # #