Connecticut town rejects permits for proposed CT Biodiesel plant

In Connecticut, the Suffield town planning commission rejected the application of CT Biodiesel for a special permit necessary for construction of their proposed $65 million biodiesel plant. The vote was tied 3-3, which prevents the issuance of the permit. The planning commission had previously issued 250 objections, and the planning committee has recommended 28 additional objections be addressed before final permits were granted. CT Biodiesel management said they were disappointed by the decision, as they believed they had met all the objections posed by the commission.

In January, CT Biodiesel responded to resident criticisms of its biodiesel project
by bringing 20 architects and engineers to a public hearing, where they
presented for three hours on the merits of the project. Resident
opposition groups said that their supporters “became worn down and
left. They came here to speak, and they’re disappointed.” Resident
groups have said that the plant does not meet zoning specifications
that ban chemical manufacturing, while CT Biodiesel says that it
manufactures fuels, not chemicals, and that chemicals used in its
production process were finished or semi-finished and not raw chemicals.

CT Biodiesel had applied for zoning permits for its 50 Mgy canola and soy-based biodiesel plant in Suffield,
the first commercial-scale facility in Connecticut. Under its proposal,
the company would provide 35,000 gallons of biodiesel free to Suffield.

Connecticut has been attempting to catch up on biofuels development. In Connecticut, the Center for Advanced Technology has launched a Small Business Incubator Program for biofuels and will offer up to $5 million in grants to biodiesel producers
for equipment, storage and distribution. The incentives will include 30
cents a gallon for the first 5 million gallons produced, 20 cents a
gallon for the next 5 million gallons, and 10 cents a gallon for the
next 5 million gallons.

 

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