http://www.stjoenews-press.com/Main.asp?SectionID=81&SubSectionID=272&; ArticleID=24821 St. Joseph News-Press Biodiesel plant sites considered
By SUSAN MIRES [EMAIL PROTECTED] At least three communities in the area are potential sites for biodiesel refineries. Representatives of Zambrana Engineering of St. Louis will visit St. Joseph in the next few weeks to evaluate the potential for a plant, said Lynn Parman of the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce. Biodiesel is gaining attention as an alternative fuel made from soybeans and other plant and animal products. Zambrana is considering building several plants in Missouri. "They're interested in St. Joseph because of the existing industry," Ms. Parman said. "They want to partner with companies that have byproducts that can be made into biodiesel." Zambrana formed another company, North American Biorefinery Resources, to convert crops and animal wastes into energy. The business also is considering Bethany, Mo., as a potential location for a plant and held an informational meeting there in January. In Doniphan County, officials are working to attract a biodiesel facility. A public meeting will be held in Wathena, Kan., on Tuesday to gauge community support for the project. "We hope to see what the interest is, gather our thoughts and go from there," said Galen Weiland, economic development coordinator for the county. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Wathena Community Building. Speakers from Kansas State Research and Extension will explain the basics of soydiesel production. Melissa Younggren of the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing and Gail Murphy of Equity Financial Resources will talk about commercial and financial aspects of biodiesel projects. An industry that uses raw agriculture products is a good fit for the region, Mr. Weiland said. "We absolutely want to put a biorefinery right here in Doniphan County," he said. Soybean farmers have promoted biodiesel as an ecologically safe alternative fuel. The fuel is used by metro bus systems in St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as in buses at Northwest Missouri State University. "As we build the market, we see the need to build a production plant in the state," said Jessica Callow of the Missouri Soybean Association. The group expects demand to reach 4 million gallons by next year. U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., recently announced that if a farmer-owned biodiesel plant is built in the state, it would most likely be located in Mexico, Mo. A bill has been introduced in the Missouri Senate to give grants to qualified biodiesel producers. A bill in the Missouri House would require state vehicles to use a 20 percent blend of biodiesel ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/ACHqaB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
