As reported in the Dec. 10 Eastern Shore News, the Exmore Town Council has essentially approved the rezoning of a parcel in the middle of town to pave the way for a 10 million gallon-per-year biodiesel plant.
While we were very vocal in our opposition to the plant prior to this official act, we have been relatively quiet since then, and folks keep coming into our little antique store next to the post office to ask why.
After all, reclassification of the site is only the very first step on a long permitting journey that will involve the public, the county, the state, and federal government (if the owners of the Exmore Energy Project have decided to pursue their venture legally).
But our silence does not mean we are resolved to seeing this questionable undertaking become a reality. On the contrary. We have actually been quite busy watching similar plants self-destruct -- if not physically, certainly financially.
It was reported in that over a dozen planned or existing biodiesel plants have filed for bankruptcy or liquidation, with more lining up at the courthouse door.
Also, construction was halted because of economics in Evansville, Ind., citing the economic infeasibility of taking crops (that could feed the world) and stuffing them into our gas tanks.
Agreeing, Imperium Renewables Inc., the largest biodiesel producer on the West Coast recently withdrew its public offering for stock in their company. Guess they realized people are more informed today than they were back in 2007 when the Exmore Town Council initially approved what then seemed like a good idea.
Interestingly enough, E3 Biofuels in Nebraska was watched closely as it was to be one of the first biofuel plants to use the "closed loop" system touted for use in the Exmore plant.
They filed for bankruptcy after the boiler exploded in their plant, rocking the very foundation of their economic future.
The plans for Exmore are not limited to the construction of a biodiesel plant. The company official has told me that he envisions an alternative energy production facility that includes manufacturing of solar and wind products that will help us reduce our costs of energy production and our reliance on imported oil.
The parcel on which the oil plant is proposed and which lies across from our shop is ideal for that, and we encourage him to pursue this vision and abandon his unsustainable pursuit of his biodiesel plan.
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