Raise questions at next re-zoning meeting (07/25/06)

To the editor:

I am writing today to ask any and all concerned Portland and Jay County residents to attend the City of Portland Zoning Administration Planning Commission meeting on July 27, 2006 at 5:00 P.M. in the Portland Fire Department at 1616 N. Franklin Street. "At that time, all interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard in reference to matters set out in the petition."

Premier Ethanol is again requesting that land within a mile of Portland, in very close proximity of the Jay County High School, and also near many residents of Jay County be rezoned from Agricultural (A) to Industrial Planned Development (PD-1). I believe they know the rezoning request was not done correctly the first time so they are trying again. I still do not think it is being done in the correct manner. I would hope that the county and city officials would and should take the time to investigate the ramifications of allowing this facility to be built.

The only site plan we saw did not show how the plant is to be situated on the property and the four tall smoke stacks were not on the plan either.

How can the county and city officials get an accurate picture of what is going on with this plant? What else is Premier Ethanol not showing us?

There should be public hearings regarding air emissions, water usage and discharge of contaminates into the Salamonia River, and the dangers of the above ground storage of dangerous, explosive, and flammable materials.

Additionally, the vast increase in truck and rail traffic will be significant and so this increases the danger of the ethanol being spilled or catching fire. People in and around Portland could be injured or, at least, have to be evacuated to a safe area (for how long?).

What will this increased traffic do to our highways and county roads?

The property values of homes and businesses in and around this facility will decline dramatically and the quality of life in this area will suffer.

It takes almost as much energy to make a gallon of ethanol as the energy it will produce. E85 (15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol) provides 72 percent less energy than gasoline and it will cost about the same as gasoline. You will probably pay as much for E85 as gasoline and get about 28 percent less fuel mileage. Using all our corn and beans for fuel will increase the price of food and deplete the soil. We should be reducing oil consumption, targeting oil companies that are ripping us off, and finding other fuel sources.

I believe there is a great danger to all citizens of Portland and the nearby Jay County area if this industry is allowed to build in such close proximity to where so many people live and work.

We do not live within the Portland city limits, but the Portland Zoning Administration Planning Commission and the City Council seem to have control over a two mile zone around the city.

We have no input into the city elections, so how is this possible?

If more people attend these meetings, perhaps some of our questions will be answered. Again, if you have any questions or concerns in this rezoning petition, please attend the meeting on July 27.

Thank you,

Sue Sommers

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