Virginia state supreme court clears way for ethanol plant
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
In Virginia, the prospects for a new ethanol plant in Hopewell improved when the state supreme court rejected a lawsuit aimed at blocking the plant’s construction. The lawsuit, filed by a Hopwell City Council member Curtis Harris, alleged that the city of Hopewell did not have the right to sell the land intended for the plant. The appeal followed a rejection of a request for an injunction to delay construction. Harris contends the city had no right to sell the land where the plant is slated to be built.
In December, a high-profile Virginia ethanol project was scuttled when the Chesapeake City Council voted 7-2 to turn down a proposal for a 237 Mgy ethanol plant proposed by International Bio Energy. The plant was proposed for a site on the Elizabeth River which was opposed by local residents in surrounding neighborhoods. The residents had raised concerns about emissions, water usage, and traffic.
Previously, planning commissioners had recommended that the $400 million plant proposed for Chesapeake Bay area be denied. The project has been in jeopardy since unfavorable environmental were published and local and regional political support waned. The Baltimore Sun published a report by the Chesapeake Bay Commission estimating that 5 million pounds of nitrogen would pour into Chesapeake Bay if the plant goes through, due to increased corn planting.
Environmental and neighborhood groups have been active in opposition, and the plant’s owners had hired top PR counsel to build public support.
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