Ethanol trip not a stinker

Worried about what odors might be emitted by an ethanol plant proposed for Clovis, a group of local officials visited a Nebraska ethanol plant last month.

Their worries dissipated.

“There was no detectable odor,” said City Manager Joe Thomas, one of five officials who made the trip to the Platte Valley Fuel Ethanol plant in Central City, Neb.

Built two years ago, the Platte Valley plant employs vacuum technology to mitigate odors associated with ethanol production, officials said. Similar technology would likely be used at the ethanol plant proposed for Clovis, according to Thomas.

Officials said they visited the plant because of its similarities to the ConAgra Trade Group plant slated to be built along U.S. Highway 60/84 in Clovis. The Platte Valley plant produces about 48 million gallons of ethanol annually, but should double that output by late 2006 or early 2007, according to the Nebraska Ethanol Board Web site.

A Central City restaurant employee, Marla Geiger, said the Platte Valley plant has been a valuable addition to the community.

“It’s been very positive,” she said.

Geiger said the plant is clean and has stimulated business in the rural community of roughly 3,000.

The plant is situated about four miles from her place of employment, she said. It lies about a mile from the heart of Central City, sources said.

Smells associated with the plant have not been an issue, Geiger said.

“It has a sweet smell,” she said.

Clovis Commissioner Robert Sandoval also made the trip to the Platte Valley plant. He said he was concerned a Clovis plant could affect his constituents. But those concerns were alleviated.

“I was surprised by how clean and efficient the plant was,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval compared the smell at the Platte Valley plant to that of feed used in feed yards.