Lake goes green with waste

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BY BILL DOLAN
bdolan@nwitimes.com
219.662.5328 | Friday, March 21, 2008 | (7 comment(s))

CROWN POINT | Lake officials voted Thursday night to steer the county into what would be the nation's first bio-ethanol station and fill up its tank.

The Lake County Solid Waste Management District Board's 21 members voted unanimously to draft a contract with Genahol-Powers 1 LLC and Indiana Ethanol Power LLC, both of Evansville and Allied Waste, of Crown Point, to turn 90 percent of the county's municipal garbage into a biofuel and more traditional recyclable materials.

Genahol promises to build a plant employing about 140 people to distill fuel from a gas created by shredding and heating organic waste. Indiana Ethanol promises to build a plant employing 110 people to ferment fuel from liquified waste.

They would be among the first commercial bio-ethanol plants in the nation if built.

J.W. Spears, the board's engineering consultant, has recommended designating Genahol as the primary vendor because its production plan appears more viable and Indiana Ethanol as a secondary vendor.

Allied Waste, which already provides scavenger service for much of the county, is being included in contract talks to dispose of residual waste from the ethanol plants or to be a back-up if the plants go down or cannot perform.

Jeffery Langbehn, director of the Lake County Solid Waste Management District, said he must now convince all Lake cities and towns to join in the ethanol project to ensure the minimum 2,000 tons per day needed to make an ethanol plant economically viable.

He said both plants may be needed and expanded if Chicago and other Indiana communities join. He said no sites have yet been picked for the plants, but they will likely locate near the north county railroad corridor.

Donald Bogner, president of Genahol, said he is prepared to invest $100 million in private equity and $300 million in tax-free bonds in the project and the county may reap economic benefits many times that amount in jobs, taxes and savings in the cost of garbage disposal.

James Metros, of Allied, has previously argued to the board the economics of waste-to-fuel doesn't make sense and that his firm has the advantage of facilities already up and running and monitored by state environmental regulators.

Waste board lawyers have until May to compose a draft contract spelling out the responsibilities of the county and each company. The public would then have a 30-day public comment period before any vote to approve a contract.

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david wrote on Mar 21, 2008 11:45 AM:

" yeah, rudy clay will probly want the plant to connect to the grand GARY CHICAGO AIRPORT!. seeing such officals in gary trying to help gary but ruining every project in NWI that doesnt include them makes me almost want to run for mayor of Gary, i mean, come on! "

YIPPEEEE...count me in wrote on Mar 21, 2008 10:20 AM:

" Whether it's economically feasible or not, it should go through. It is a step in the right direction for the planet. Yes, I'm sure Lake County will try to corrupt it, but as long as the facility gets built and does its job, I don't care who reaps the profits from it. I know my great, great, great grandchildren will. "

Cornfused wrote on Mar 21, 2008 9:37 AM:

" I don't understand how "Wastful" can refute the high demand for ethanol. Is not 10% of our gasoline ethanol? Is not the conversion of food to ethnol drasticly driving up the price of food around the world? Even causing a shortage of oats because oat farmers are planting corn for ethanol. That's pretty high demand in my book. We are in a constant battle in this county over solid waste disposal. If this project delivers fuel at competitive prices, slows the growing need for expanding garbage landfills, turns waste instead of food into fuel, what else do you want? OOps, almost forgot, about 'Wasteful' and his fellow Bolsheviks. The also want to ensure that the investors do not realize one stinking dime in profits. "

Lake N Shake wrote on Mar 21, 2008 9:19 AM:

" this scheme is already doomed. Since it will be located in Lake, then somewhere, somehow, Rudy Clay will make some kind of outlandish demand (shakedown) and bring an end to the whole project. With hundreds of millions to be thrown into the project, Rudy's palms are itching. I predict he will demand all facilities, offices, garages, ancillary buildings built in Gary by Gary contractors (with Rudy's approval) to be staffed only with Gary employees. Gary will receive deeply discounted fuel (free is better) and the project will collect and haul all Gary solid waste to the facility for free. Yep, that will end it for sure. "

Wasteful wrote on Mar 21, 2008 9:06 AM:

" While this sounds like a good plan, the return realized by Northwest Indiana will be negligible. Of course the president of the company looking to build a facility is going to tell you that your community will benefit. There is NOT a strong demand for Ethanol, Property Owner. The only plus this plant would add is that they're not eliminating planted crop land for it like other Ethanol facilities. Perhaps the county needs to hire some individuals with a basic understanding of economics, not those who have knee-jerk acceptance to "going green" and "we'll create 100 jobs." "

Great idea wrote on Mar 21, 2008 7:40 AM:

" Great idea...Thanks for working together to further position NWI as a progressive area. "

concerned Griffith Property Owner wrote on Mar 21, 2008 6:39 AM:

" This sounds like a plan that should be implemented. There is a strong demand for ethanol and as long as this plant can be kept environmentally correct, further enhance the recyling effort, and cut costs for all towns, then everyone should be for this plan. talk with your local mayors, council members, etc and express your opinion. "

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