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Wisconsin Ag News Headlines
Didion Ethanol Project Finds Favor with DNR Report
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 02/27/2008

A company that is planning to build a new ethanol plant in Columbia County has been told by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that its wastewater discharge will be 'almost undetectable' on a local waterway. As a result, the DNR says it will likely issue Didion Milling a wastewater discharge permit for the project, which is being constructed just outside of Cambria.

The plan by Didion Milling to discharge cooling water used in ethanol production into a tributary of Duck Creek will have little effect on the branch's temperate or flow rate, the agency says.

But many local residents are still concerned, saying the DNR should either deny the permit application or impose tighter restrictions. According to news reports, the village spent millions to dredge its Tarrant Lake after several dams failed in the past. A group that is opposed to the project also commented that the village needs to be vigilant in protecting the lake from any potential threat.

Didion is applying to discharge over 200,000 gallons per day into the tributary. The DNR does not have the authority to regulate issues such as temperature or quantity of water discharge.

As Wisconsin Ag Connection reported last year, this is the company's second attempt at building an ethanol plant in the area. In April 2003, voters rejected a proposal during a special referendum after Didion planned on building a plant that would purchase over 14 million bushels of corn per year. Supporters of the plant at that time said they faced strong opposition from the environmental group STOP, or 'Stop the Ethanol Plant Now,' which was also successful in defeating another project in Algoma. The issue brought on a lot of attention because area farmers staged a protest prior to the vote by driving their tractors and trucks in the village to rally support.

Once completed, the facility is expected to produce 40 million gallons of ethanol annually.


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