Lincoln looking at possible biodiesel plant

The Village of Lincoln and Lincoln Downtown Development Authority are exploring the feasibility of bringing a biodiesel plant to the Lincoln area.

When the DDA hired its consultant Bob Jones earlier this year, the DDA gave Jones a list of objectives to work on over the next year. One of those objectives included investigating the possibility of bringing a biodiesel or ethanol facility to the area.

“The DDA is looking at economic development that would have a positive impact on the district,” said DDA President Dave James. “There’s probably a lot of potential in renewable energy. You’ll never get there unless you try.”

According to Jones, Northern Michigan Oil & Mill based in Fife Lake has expressed interest in starting a five million gallons per year biodiesel facility in the area. Jones knew of the company’s work through previous projects and invited it to look at Lincoln and consider the area.

In early April the company’s owner, Bruce Saloway, made a presentation to village officials about the company’s plans and interests.

“If we put in a biodiesel plant that’s capable of doing five million gallons per year, that would require between 60,000 and 70,000 acres of products. When you’re talking about that many acres you’re talking about creating 2,000 agricultural jobs, not including those truck drivers ... and about 26 full-time jobs would be created at the plant,” Saloway said.

Saloway said the company wants to utilize fallow, or unseeded, farmland to grow products such as soybeans, sunflowers or canola, so that it won’t compete with local farmers. The company has equipment capable of crushing seeds and extracting the oil from these plants for the process of producing biodiesel fuel.

“(The plant) would start out small and as farmers can grow more crops it would grow to five million gallons,” he said. “We would have to raise money to build this plant.”

This would not be Saloway’s first experience with starting a plant. The company had a one million gallons per year facility constructed in South Boardman. However, before the plant could be commissioned, it was damaged by a tornado in October and the company is in the process of finding a new location within the same community to reconstruct it, Saloway said.

Jones said there are three criteria that would affect a plant coming to the area — location, size and financing.

“Alternative energy facilities usually take a few years to organize. You have to get started somewhere,” he said.

Adrian already has gone through the process of opening a biodiesel facility. NextDiesel, LLC opened its 10 million gallons per year facility there in 2007.

Mayor Gary McDowell said the entire process went smoothly. The process started when the company was looking to have another location within Lenawee County. But when that fell through the city’s local chamber of commerce approached the company about having the plant in Adrian. The city did not have to make zoning changes because the location already had been zoned for industrial use. The community also qualified for having tax-free renaissance zone, which assisted in the process.

“We pulled that thing together in a little over a year and we had the plant up and running,” he said.

McDowell said while some residents had initial concerns about odor and noise, city officials and representatives from the company did a good job to inform residents through public hearings.

Since its opening, the plant has not had any negative impacts on the community. It complements an ethanol facility, which is located 11 miles away, McDowell said.

“We see that as a transition from traditional farm products to technical farm products,” he said. “In the long term we’re hopeful other ancillary businesses or support businesses will be attracted to come near these businesses.”

Lincoln President Phil Jordan said he wants to learn more about these types of facilities before deciding if bringing one to the village would be positive or negative. Recently village officials took a trip to the plant in Adrian to gather more information.

“There’s a lot of issues we have to consider before we would agree to do that. We have to start looking at what fits for Lincoln,” he said.

Jordan said some of the issues needing to be addressed would include zoning, traffic, environmental impacts and noise.

Lincoln resident Arleen Kohn said if the plant isn’t bad for the environment, she would support that type of project.

“I think it’s good if it’s going to be local, (by hiring) employment locally and buying local farmers‚ produce,” she said.

Brad Cole, owner of Cole’s Appliance & Home Furnishings, said industry needs to become a focus not just in Lincoln, but also in the entire county.

“Anything we can do to stimulate growth in our community is good as long as it meets the environmental stipulations,” he said. “I think we have good people working on the project. They’re going to make sure it’s done right the first time.”

Patty Ramus can be reached via e-mail at pramus@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.