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The Illini Bio-Energy
Ethanol Plant
Positives for Lincoln/Logan County/Central Illinois:
- Employ 38-39 persons
with annual salaries from $35,000 to 60,000.
- Create 70-100 new
jobs throughout Lincoln/Logan County in the service industries supporting
the operations of the plant.
- Add $1,500,000.00 in
new annual income for corn producers in Logan County.
- Generate a minimum of
$1,200,000.00 annually in new state & local taxes.
- Add $19,600,000.00 of
annual household income to Central Illinois.
- Produce 50,000,000
gallons of ethanol per year reducing the U.S.’ need for foreign oil.
- Create a new market
for 18,000,000 bushels of central Illinois corn annually.
- Produce an estimated
165,000 tons of DDGS, a high quality livestock feed, annually.
- Bring money to
Lincoln/Logan County from other states through the sales of ethanol and DDGs.
Community Questions:
1. What effect will
the plant have on property values of the area?
- A survey of
professional realtors in cities where ethanol plants are located shows that
there has been no decline in area property values because of the
plant.
2. How will safety
issues be handled?
- Stringent fire
protection requirements are inherent in the design, layout and operations of
the plant.
- An extensive program
for plant safety and health will be implemented and audited regularly. IBE
will work with city and county fire, safety and emergency personnel to
insure safe operations.
- Illini Bio-Energy has
met with local safety and emergency professionals to discuss safety issues
related to the plant. Its plant and operations will be required to follow
the same stringent guidelines that other local businesses and industries are
required to follow in the community.
3. Will shallow
wells run dry for area residents?
- Illini is working
with the water professionals from Illinois American Water Company to
determine the best supply of water for the plant. The water may come from
wells drilled on its property or purchased from the water company.
Together, we are working to provide a source of water to the plant that
would not adversely affect the water supply in the area.
- The Northern Logan
County Water Authority will have regulatory power over the quantity of water
used should Illini decide to drill wells for its water use.
4. Does the EPA
safeguard these residential wells?
- The Illinois EPA does
not have any role in the matter of water quantity, but does concern itself
with the quality of the water in the wells.
5. How much water
will the plant purchase from Illinois American Water Company?
- The amount of water
is yet to be determined.
6. Will run-off water from the property or
water discharged from the plant contribute to flooding of Brainard’s Branch?
- The plant’s design
and layout will include retention ponds to accumulate and store run-off
water from the plant site.
- Any water that will
be discharged from the plant will be non-process water, either well water or
city water (yet to be determined). This water has been used to cool down
the towers and is similar to the water that remains in a teakettle after it
has simmered on a stove for a period of time – concentrated in minerals. It
will be discharged into a shallow lagoon, where much of it will evaporate.
- Run-off water and
discharge water will be a controlled discharge via a 6” discharge line with
a gate valve to allow for control of discharge rates.
- The Illinois EPA’s
Bureau of Water has legislative authority and federal EPA approval to
implement the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program
in Illinois. The plant will need to obtain this permit from the Illinois
EPA, after the Illinois EPA is satisfied that the discharge will not cause
or contribute to water pollution.
7. What is the plan
for Nicholson Road?
- Any Logan County road
used to access the plant will need to be an 80,000 pound, year round, all
weather road. Illini does not intend to ask for upgrades to Nicholson Road
to the north of the plant’s entrances.
- The plant will bring
additional truck traffic to the area. The corn needed for the plant’s
operations will be delivered to the plant by grain trucks or could be
delivered by rail if necessary.
8. Will this plant
be an eyesore for area residents?
- This plant will be
working plant. An ethanol plant resembles a modern grain elevator. Its
components are constructed of concrete, carbon steel and stainless steel.
Driveways serving the plant will either be paved or constructed of
concrete. Grain will be delivered to the plant and will be unloaded in an
enclosed building.
- There will be no
exposed coal. All coal will be received in a separate enclosed building and
stored in coal silos.
- Illini’s office
building will be an attractive structure large enough to house the weigh
scales, offices and meeting rooms.
9. Undermining concerns?
- Among the various
studies that Illini is currently conducting to determine the suitability of
the proposed property is an engineering study by a mining expert. This study
will show the extent of the undermining on the property.
For more information,
please log on to Illini’s website at
www.illinibioenergy.com
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