06/30/05 Light at end of tunnel for biorefinery

The Malheur County planning and zoning commission has approved the site plan for a multi-million dollar biorefinery. Treasure Valley Renewable Resources general manager John Hamilton has another important date coming up in July. HAMILTON "On the 13th we have a hearing for air permit to construct and waste water permit by DEQ and they've written the drafts already and we've agreed with them." The refinery construction could begin near Ontario later this year. Hamilton says they have put plans for a biodiesel processing plant on hold. HAMILTON "Because there isn't enough oil seed crops grown in the area and there isn't enough waste oil. With Simplot closing the plants in Burley and Hermiston French fry oil is not available." TVRR switched from fermentation to gasification in ethanol production which will lower the refinery's air emissions and cut their costs. TVRR's ethanol production, now pegged at 30 million gallons per year and other products that will come from agricultural crops grown in western Idaho and eastern Oregon. Other than a plant under construction in Burley Idaho has no ethanol production today but a Canadian company keeps looking to Idaho Falls as the potential home to a plant that uses straw to produce ethanol. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott