Many people have read articles about the proposed ethanol plant to be built in Elba township.  They have been told of benefits to the surrounding area like taxes, jobs, higher corn prices, etc.  THIS IS NOT A CO-OP OPERATION FOLKS !   IT IS A PRIVATE, FOR PROFIT, LIMITED LIABILITY CORPORATION  “CHEMICAL PLANT”  WHICH RUNS 24  HOURS PER DAY,  7 DAYS PER WEEK.  We at Step 2 will now explain our opposing view. To quote the commentator, Mr. Paul Harvey, “and now, the rest of the story”.
 

ETHANOL PRODUCTION - 40,000,000 gallons the first year. DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

WATER USAGE - 548,000  gallons per day.  At an average household use of 200 gallons per day, this is enough to supply at least 2750 homes per day.   DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

NATURAL GAS USAGE - 20,000 therms per day.  At an average household use of  2.7 therms per day, this is enough to supply at least 7400 homes per day.   DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

ELECTRIC POWER - 4150 kW per day. At an average dairy farm use of 4.85 kW per day, this is enough to supply at least 855 farms per day.   DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

CORN USAGE IN BUSHELS - 14,600,000.   DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

TRANSPORTATION:      INCOMING - 43,800 trucks with corn.
                                           OUTGOING - Ethanol and dried distillers grain by truck and rail.
                                           CO2 - by truck and rail.

REMEMBER, WHAT GOES IN MUST COME BACK OUT. This means that 87,600 trucks minimum, will move on the surrounding roads in the first year. DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

175,000 trucks per year. At least 480 trucks per day rolling on our highways.  Would YOU like to live on any of these highways and county roads within a 10-mile radius?

SMELL AND EMISSIONS ? - The plant will have a 175 ft. tall smoke stack. The reason you ask ?
To discharge the smell and emissions into the winds in all directions for a 5-10 mile radius or more.

SMELL - Do the following quotes sound like anything you would like to smell?   “Noxious”, “like a filthy bar room floor”; “like New York City’s garbage strike, only worse”; “a real stench”,  “takes your breath away”, “makes you want to vomit”; “you can’t go outside unless you wear a mask”;  “it’s atrocious”.  These quotes were taken from complaints in Minnesota that were found on the Internet by searching for “ETHANOL PLANTS” complaints.

EMISSIONS - Particulate ( 99.02 tons/year),   Nitrogen Oxide (89.87 tons/year),   Sulfur Dioxide (.49 tons/year),   Carbon Monoxide (77.4 tons/year),   Volatile Organic Compounds (95.42 tons/year).  DOUBLE THIS IN  2-3 YEARS.

DO YOU LIVE WITHIN THIS RADIUS AREA OF THE PROPOSED “CHEMICAL” PLANT?   Columbus (5 mi.),  Fall River (7 mi.),  Beaver Dam (8 mi.),  Lowell (4 mi.),  Reeseville (3 mi.),  Juneau (11 mi.),  Clyman (9 mi.),  Waterloo (10 mi.) and Watertown (11 mi.).  ALL these communities are going to be affected by the smell and emissions, lowering of the water table, increased truck traffic and eventually, a lowering of property values.

WOULD YOU BUY INTO THIS  10 MILE RADIUS AREA  IF YOU KNEW A  “CHEMICAL”  PLANT EXISTED WITH THESE CONDITIONS ?    PROBABLY NOT!    SO  WHY  WOULD  ANYONE  ELSE  WANT  TO ?
 

This project has been on a  VERY SECRETIVE,  VERY FAST TRACK  going back into FALL of  2000. The DODGE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION along with the ELBA TOWN BOARD and THE CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION have collected petitions and conducted meetings as far back as November 2000 or earlier.  Very little information has been disclosed to the public.  Mr. Farr and the ELBA TOWN BOARD conducted a closed session meeting on 12/15/00. Approximately 30-40 people were asked to leave after they were seated and waiting for information.   WHERE IS THE TOWN OPENNESS MR. FARR.???    WHERE IS THE COUNTY OPENNESS  Mr. DAVE CARPENTER, MS. C. J. SHANNON and MR. DEAN PERLICK ???

WAKE UP FARMERS !  Are you guaranteed the proposed 10-15 cents per bushel increase on corn?  THE ANSWER IS NO.   This plant is a  PRIVATE LLC CORPORATION.  They are there to profit no one but themselves and the few other select large operations with grain dealer licenses, drying equipment and storage facilities.

There is nothing to stop them from buying damaged corn or even afla/toxin contaminated corn to some level for use in the ethanol process.  Why should the plant pay top dollar for your local corn when cheap corn can be purchased in or outside the area, transported, and still be less costly in the processing ???

WE LIVE IN ONE OF THE NICEST AREAS OF THE STATE.  THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS GREAT. Some people who live here apparently do not appreciate what they have compared to other state areas or even out of state.

DON”T LET THIS AREA GET TRASHED BY A  “MINI GARY-INDIANA-TYPE” “CHEMICAL” OPERATION. Treasure your land for as long as you can. “Once it is gone you never get it back”--at any price!

TELL THE NESNAH GROUP,  ELBA TOWNSHIP BOARD and  DODGE COUNTY PLANNING that you are opposed to this plant.  Even to date,  with better than  400 opposing  petitioned signatures, of which more than 200 are in the TOWN OF ELBA,  THEY  STILL  DON’T  GET  IT.    CONTACT ALL OF THE ABOVE AND VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION

STEP 2 would appreciate your support for rejecting this proposed plant.   Please contact  STEP 2  to add your signature to the petition AGAINST the ethanol plant and to lend your support.
 

Respectfully, Larry DeMarchi,  STEP 2  03/01/01        CONTACT: Deb Schilling  920-623-4275