Where to even begin with that? Here are two suggestions:
Don't eat industrial meat. From the article: "Leman said the model "has
potential to set a new standard for `natural' beef programs that are
profitable, sustainable and environmentally sound." Well, cattle are
ruminant animals. Cattle fattened on pasture grasses have much lower levels
of saturated fats and higher vitamin E, beta-carotene, and omega-3 levels
compared to CAFO animals. Cattle that are fed grain diets in confinement
are universally plagued with gastric ailments that eventually kill them,
although here I guess they're planning to slaughter the sick creatures and
feed them to us before the wet distillers grain causes complete ulceration
of the cattle's stomachs.
Local control works! From the article: "The location of Prime's first plant
in Dakota County is a testament to tenacity. An unruly crowd at a public
hearing on a zoning change to accommodate a location near Homer, Neb., last
November caused Hallberg to step to the microphone and quietly withdraw his
request for the change."
Donna
-----Original Message-----
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Redmond, Jim
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 12:01 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The S... Hits the Fan in Siouxland
On top of our news that an oil refinery might open just up the river, here's
a deal to house 30,000 cattle in a "closed-loop" confinement. And it is
supposed to help cattlemen and the environment. I feel like we are being
overrun. Jim
Dakota County getting 'closed loop' ethanol plant
1:00 AM
By Michele Linck Journal staff writer
No comments posted. | Share | Small | Large
Prime BioSolutions of Omaha said Thursday that it plans to begin
construction late this year in Dakota County of an $85 million "closed loop"
ethanol plant that will run without using fossil-fuel energy.
The company said it also has secured options and initiated permitting on
several other sites in Nebraska and South Dakota. It took the opportunity to
announce as well that former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle has joined Prime as
chairman of the board and that former ibp/Tyson Fresh Meats executive Gene
Leman is an adviser to the company.
Dakota County is first
The Dakota County facility will be the company's first plant, and it is
currently working through engineering and testing, company spokesman Daniel
Kenney said. He said construction would not begin until the crops on the
selected land are harvested this fall. Construction would employ about 200
people and take about 15 months.
Prime BioSolutions co-owns the patent for the process technology with E3
BioFuels, E3 said. E3 is launching its first plant on Thursday, in Mead,
Neb.
The "closed loop" technology consists of feeding cattle in an enclosed
facility and continually washing the manure into sealed anaerobic digesters,
which cook it to produce methane gas that then powers an ethanol plant. The
wet distillers grain remaining from the ethanol production can be fed to the
cattle, completing the loop.
Prime's plant will consist of up to 30,000 head of cattle and will make
about 23 million gallons of ethanol a year, half or a quarter of what
typical ethanol plants in the area produce. The nearly odorless process also
produces a high-quality fertilizer.
Dan McNamara, economic development director for South Sioux City and Dakota
County, said the project will need just 400 acres, but Prime has optioned
1,400 acres on a farm between Dakota City and Hubbard, Neb. The conditional
use permit granted by the county for the project in February is being
challenged in court by a neighboring couple.
Process said to help cattlemen
A company statement said its CEO and founder, Dave Hallberg, invented the
patented method technology, which it will lease to the additional
facilities. Hallberg touted the process as a way to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases linked to climate change.
Leman said in the statement that the closed-loop technology "is emerging at
a very important time for the nation's cattle feeders. It offers visionary
cattlemen the opportunity to cost effectively move cattle feeding back to
states like Nebraska and South Dakota by taking advantage of the
state-of-the-art weather protected facilities."
Leman said the model "has potential to set a new standard for `natural' beef
programs that are profitable, sustainable and environmentally sound."
Daschle touted the technology as an answer to calls to increase biofuels
production and decrease the "carbon footprint." He added that Prime's
ultralow-carbon fuels "are expected to qualify for up to four times as many
credits as conventional ethanol because they reduce the creation of all
three major greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides."
The location of Prime's first plant in Dakota County is a testament to
tenacity. An unruly crowd at a public hearing on a zoning change to
accommodate a location near Homer, Neb., last November caused Hallberg to
step to the microphone and quietly withdraw his request for the change.
McNamara pursued the company immediately and a week later had a lead on the
second site. He said at the time that he received calls from several farmers
who thought the project would work on their land.
Following Thursday's announcement, he said he had already received calls
from other industries expressing interest in possibly supplying some of
Prime's needs.
The Siouxland Initiative first brought Prime BioSolutions to the county's
attention.
________________________________________
From: Iowa Discussion, Alerts and Announcements
[[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Neila Seaman
[[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 1:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: DNR hosting issue meetings on illegal dumping
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