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Local News

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

'Doing the right things'
Reineke Family Dealerships - Upper Sandusky
By JIM MAURER

Staff Writer

FOSTORIA — The opening of the $130 million Fostoria ethanol production plant is the next step to reducing America's dependency on foreign oil, Jeff Broin, chief executive officer and president of POET company, Sioux Falls, S.D., said Tuesday.

The plant has been accepting corn for about two weeks. Production will begin Oct. 7. The plant, located on Ohio 12 east of the city, will produce between 65-69 million gallons of ethanol annually and use about 22 million bushels of corn. It will provide 40 jobs and have a $2 million annual payroll.

The company also markets byproducts of the operation, including dried distiller grains with solubles used for livestock feed.

Eventually, Broin said the plant may be converted to produce cellulosic ethanol, made from switch grass, corn cobs and other materials. The company is currently working on technology to use non-corn items for ethanol production, he said.

Speaking at the opening of the company's 25th ethanol production site, and its second in Ohio, Broin said energy security and global warming are two major issues facing the country.

"The depletion of the energy source can't be solved with the same thinking we used to create these problems," he said. "We're at the right place, doing the right things," to reduce the nation's appetite for fossil fuels.

Plastics, corn, soybeans, sugars and grasses will be the fuels of the future, he said. A company plant in Iowa, similar to Fostoria, is being converted to produce ethanol using corn cobs and corn.

Eventually, other products will be used to produce the ethanol.

"One day these same technologies could make their way here," Broin said.

Both forms of ethanol production are better than using just gasoline, he said.

"Without ethanol, gas would cost an additional 45 cents per gallon," he said.

Corn can be used for both food and fuel, he said, but ethanol is not the reason for the higher food prices. A farmer gets less than 20 cents of each dollar spent on food, he said.

In 1947, corn sold for $2.16 a bushel and a barrel of oil cost about the same. Now, corn is about $5 per bushel and oil is about $100 a barrel.

"Farmers don't need to apologize for the price they are getting," he said, since the market for grain is above the cost of production.

He suggested bringing 1 billion acres of land back into agriculture production, which could produce enough ethanol to replace two-thirds of the world's gasoline use.

"Right here in Fostoria, we are making a difference. We are changing our world's energy supply," he said. To see change, "we need a revolution ... a renewable one."

The company will open another production plant in Marion in about three weeks and continues to seek possible sites in the state for additional production plants, he said. It already operates a plant in Leipsic.

Mike Wagner, executive director of Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association, said the company has invested nearly $400 million in the three Ohio plants, making it the largest agricultural industry investment in Ohio.

Robert Boggs, director of Ohio Department of Agriculture, said Fostoria is "looking ahead to the future."

"Addiction to oil has devastated our economy and imperiled our national security," Boggs said. "The country imports 12 million barrels daily, spending nearly $1.5 billion daily, at $120 per barrel. Nearly $500 billion per year leaves our country to feed our addiction."

"We are on a threshold of a new bio-revolution in this country," he said. "Last year (no ethanol was produced in Ohio), this year 390 million gallons (will be produced) and next year 500 million gallons."

"We are not going to miss the future. We are going to create the future in Fostoria and Ohio," Boggs said.

"As energy demands continue to grow in the United States, the nation's dependency on Middle Eastern oil must decline," U.S. 5th District Rep. Bob Latta said in a prepared statement. "The POET biorefining facility is an important piece of our energy plan to help reduce that dependency by producing clean burning ethanol, economic growth, and jobs to northwest Ohio. This plant also gives area farmers another market for their grain."

Plant tours were given before and after the presentations.

Maurer: 419-427-8420,

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1 Comment

Jon wrote:
'Doing the right things'
“ Nice try but Mr Broin is wrong.It help reduce the dependency but it will not reduce the price burden and will in fact cost more when you add in the bilateral effects of uses corn.
Not buying what he is saying. ”
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 10:32:15 AM
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Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.