Plant’s future up in the air
Crystal NelsonThe plans for a proposed biodiesel plant in Lincoln have been put on hold, as Lincoln Downtown Development Authority officials have decided to change their focus with regard to the project.
For more than a year, village officials have discussed a proposed facility with representatives from Northern Oil & Mill of Fife Lake. The company expressed interest in Lincoln after DDA Director Bob Jones made the suggestion to company partners to consider the village as a location. In September 2008 the village council voted to formally support a plant coming to the village and authorized that a letter of support be drafted. Bruce Soloway, Holly Hawkins and Lewis Rasho, all partners for Northern Oil, met with village officials in January 2009, to answer their questions about the company's initial plans.
According to Jones, there have been recent changes in the biodiesel market that have caused the DDA to review its focus on the project. There have been problems with using products such as soy that were used in biodiesel production due to commodities market price changes and other factors. All of the biodiesel plants Michigan built in recent years have closed.
"What's happened with that, it's affected the market because nobody is making it and nobody is selling it. All the gas stations that were selling it or were planning selling it have quit," he said.
The DDA has decided to put the project on hold and to shift its focus onto energy projects as a whole. There are several products that are being investigated or tested in pilot projects for biodiesel production, including wood chips, switch grass, corn, straw and bagasse, Jones said.
"Biodiesel is more or less starting from scratch again," he said. "All of these things are in the development stage."
During the summer of 2009, the village received a $35,000 grant as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Enterprise Grant program, to help pay for an energy and engineering study to help determine the feasibility and scope of a proposed biodiesel plant project. Jones said the study has not been done. The DDA has decided wait and see what products are proven to be viable before investing the grant money into conducting a study.
Jones said he has spoken with Soloway, who has indicated he's thinking of starting an agricultural related supplier business in Lincoln. Soloway is in the process of investigating the feasibility of the plan.
Village President Phil Jordan said he's had conversations with Jones, Soloway and DDA President Dave James and agrees with the DDA's decision because the whole alternative fuel agenda has changed in the last two years.
"For us to go forward right now just doesn't make sense because of the market and we don't know what the government is going to pass," he said.
Patty Ramus can be reached via e-mail at pramus@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.
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audreypapke
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02-06-10 8:32 AM
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About twelve years ago - all of this began. Someone said, "I know a state employee" and she said she'd have you, Audrey Papke, cleaning my son daily - then my adult female dependent. I replied: I have an absolute right to privacy from both you and your dependent family member - and NO - you, the state, and the army and National Guard cannot beat me up, starve me, deny me work in the public sector - forcing me to "clean up" your son, daughter, or mother. They are your confinement and wage cap - not mine.
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audreypapke
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02-06-10 8:29 AM
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private health insurance, and make a living wage. Give your relative what my hard-working decent elderly aunt was allotted: one meal-on-wheel a day and abject, tearful alienation. NO, you cannot FORCE me to cook and clean for your dependent family member - so YOU don't have to. With regard to others' daily personal tasks - we all take care of our own family members - and a union employee is NO exception. Good luck keeping your job. Regarding your dependent adult: it's either Tendercare or YOUR house. Your confinement. Your stomach wrenched. YOU on medicaid.
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audreypapke
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02-06-10 8:26 AM
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My childen all lest the area to find work, and only one of my children works in Michigan. We didn't sit around and cry: I grew up in Alpena so I expect work in the area, not that everyone, as I was mocked, wasn't hiring "family." How did the expression go? Besser. "We" take care of our own, meaning we hire our own. I'm all for others taking care of their own. DO NOT bother me again when a male has to quit his job to take care of an invalid family member. I, like you, believe in taking care of my own. I take care of my families private/personal hygiene matters - and believe me - YOU are NOT subjecting me to your family member's personal hygiene matters. How offensive of you to wrench my stomach over YOUR family members personal hygeine tasks. I call the cops every time someone bothers me about their elderly parent, developmentally disabled person, etc. NO, there ARE NOT "women" out their to do that for you - so you can drive a nice truck, mak
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