Ground Breaks On Iowa Biodiesel Facility
Work to begin on massive biodiesel plant in northern Iowa
A massive biodiesel plant to be built
in northern Iowa is just the kind of project the new energy bill will
help foster, said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.
Cargill Inc. was to break ground
Wednesday in Iowa Falls on the world's largest biodiesel plant,
expected to churn out 37.5 million gallons of fuel a year. It will use
soybeans, all bought from area farmers, said Bill Brady, spokesman for
the Minnesota company.
Grassley said tax incentives included
in the energy bill signed by [Bush] on Monday in Albuquerque,
N.M., will spur the growth of the biodiesel industry and benefit the
economy.
“This is good for the ag industry.
It's good for economic development,” Grassley said Tuesday. “It's good
for good-paying jobs in our small communities in the Midwest.
These types of projects are great for our economy, and for the
development of cleaner burning fuels. The only reservation I have
about these types of investments are the effects on smaller co-operatives and producers:
“I
think it’s great that Cargill is entering the biodiesel market. It’s
wonderful,” said Roy Arends, a director for the Iowa Soybean Promotion
Board and farmer from Alexander, Iowa.
“Some might see this as competition
for the farmer-owned biodiesel plants, but I see it as a good sign for
the future. Cargill obviously thinks it’s going to be profitable long
term or they wouldn’t be doing it.”
Iowa farmers have invested millions of tax form checkoff dollars in the development, production and promotion of soy biodiesel.
…. particularly when checkoff dollars are being paid to kickstart such projects.
Blog For Iowa 
Say, Chad, do you have any idea how much pollution such a large plant would spew into the Iowa environment?
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Actually, no idea. I would imagine that any large plant of this type would be rather polluting, but I don't have any solid numbers or studies.
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