06-01-06 Update:

To date, not a single piece of information gleaned from either the developers or the newspaper has addressed potential negative impacts of the plant. Meanwhile, after one year of empty promises and a field full of used parts resembling a junkyard, realtors and businesses in town are asking this question: "Where are all of the construction workers, new families and fresh income that was promised?".

Here are some reasons for concern:

1) The coal-fired portion of this complex is being built from parts originating from a plant in Moorhead, MN...which was closed in 1980 and has been sitting dormant for approximately 25 years.

2) The ethanol portion of this complex is being built from parts originating from the Gopher State Ethanol plant in St Paul, MN...a plant plagued by complaints of noise, odor and health problems, and where several fires occurred due to malfunctioning equipment. This plant was shut down by the EPA in 2004.

3) The transportation of coal, corn and ethanol to and from the plant will increase local truck traffic by at least 80 loads per day or 160 total trips. This alone will require a major upgrade to the highway infrastructure and higher maintenance costs for Sherman county. This is in addition to added highway congestion and increased noise levels.

4) Of most concern is that the people building this plant have never done this type of a project before. Yet somehow they will be able to put this thing together from rusted and dented used parts!

Click the links at the left side of the page to learn more.

And by-the-way...where are the wind turbines? Mark Justus and Renewable Energy came to Goodland promising wind turbines. Now we have three heavy industrial plants and after 18 months there are only used windmill parts laying out in the energy center junkyard west of town.