Bio-refinery company gears up for site review hearing
Saturday, March 17, 2007 11:47 PM PDT
Larry Meyer Argus Observer
ONTARIO
Treasure Valley Renewable Resources officials will soon go before the Malheur County Planning Commission in an effort to gain final approval for a proposed bio-refinery south of Ontario.
TVRR is still working through a process to obtain air quality and wastewater environmental permits from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, but the site review will essentially be one of the final, local hurdles for the company in its effort to build the multi-million dollar facility.
The site review hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m., June 7 at Four Rivers Cultural Center.
Supporters of the $77 million bio-refinery concept assert it will create more than 60 jobs for the local economy. A number of key local political leaders, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department worked to get TVRR to situate the plant in Malheur County.
In January 2004 the Malheur County Court approved an ordinance to create an M-3 Agricultural Processing Zone for a parcel of land south of Ontario for the proposed plant. The land was previously zoned exclusive farm use. The site of the proposed bio-refinery was not originally in the enterprise zone, which was expanded to include it.
A number of area-elected officials were listed as investors and members of TVRR’s board of managers.
According to the site review application submitted by TVRR, the bio-refinery will receive corn, wheat and barley grains, which will be processed into fiber, germ, protein and starches, with the fiber and some starches utilized in human food production. Protein will be used by fish food makers, and starches and cleaning not used in food production will be used in the manufacture of ethanol.
The bio-refinery site is situated at 3880 Alameda Drive, and is bordered by the Oregon Shortline Railroad to the north, the Union Pacific Railroad to the east and Alameda Drive to the west.
Planning commission members will review the site plan, including structures for receiving, grain storage, processing, ethanol storage, packaging, warehouses and research. The review application said the structures will be constructed to the far east of the property and open land and crop test plots are planned around each structure.
One key aspect of the bio-refinery proposal was the potential source of the plant’s water for processing. TVRR officials said they would need about 500 gallons per minute for their operation. In its exceptions statement issued for the zoning hearings held in 2003, TVRR asserted water would be extended from Ontario to the site. In a letter to John Hamilton, TVRR general manager, Ontario City Manager Scott Trainor said, “The city of Ontario’s water treatment plant has the immediate ability to provide 500 gallons per minute of water flow to the company’s proposed bio-refinery from September through June.”
However, Trainor said the city was planning to upgrade its water treatment facility to increase its capacity. Both Hamilton and Trainor said installing the extension of the water line to the bio-refinery would be the responsibility of TVRR.
However, in the review application documents, Hamilton said the bio-refinery will rely on an on-site well field comprised of four deep production wells — and not Ontario — for its domestic and water supply.
The wells will have a total production capability of approximately 2,000 gpm. Regarding water service from Ontario, Hamilton said, “The city of Ontario may at some point in the future extend its water service to the area, however this is not currently planned or scheduled.”
Trainor said, in 2003, the water treatment plant upgrade had nothing to do with TVRR’s venture and had been in the planning stage for some time.
Hamilton said Monday the issue of city water versus wells was about timing and it did not appear the city would have its water treatment plant upgrade up and running in time to supply TVRR.
“We need a supply of water and so we applied for a permit and got it,” he said. At a later date when the city’s upgrade is complete, the company will look at running a line to hook up with city services, Hamilton said.
“We were just uncomfortable in waiting for the city,’’ he said.
