Bio-refinery firm still focused on new plant
State, though, pulls funding for two ventures tied to local proposed TVRR project
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Sunday, January 20, 2008 1:59 AM PST
ONTARIO - Oregon Department of Transportation officials confirmed Friday the state has canceled funding for two ConnectOregon projects related to Treasure Valley Renewable Resources’ planned bio-refinery because of a lack of progress on the project.
Officials also confirmed that a proposal to cancel state funding for a third project related to the plant will be on the Oregon Transportation Commission’s February agenda.
Despite the loss of state funding, the project manager for the bio-refinery project said the venture will continue to move forward.
“It (the state funding) won’t stop it. It was a small part of our funding,” Treasure Valley Renewable Resources Project Manager John Hamilton said. Hamilton, though, did not give out any specifics regarding a timeline for construction.
“Not yet,” he said.
Money from the ConnectOregon Program — a statewide agenda established by the Oregon Legislature to invest in transportation infrastructure — was awarded to TVRR for a grain handling facility and for a railroad spur.
The program awarded $1.5 million to TVRR to build the grain facility at the proposed bio-refinery site south of Ontario, while the Oregon Eastern Railroad was to garner $260,000 to build the spur onto the plant site to handle rail cars.
According to TVRR, the bio-refinery is designed to use crops such as corn and oats to produce food-grade products, such as supplements, with an end product being ethanol.
A number of stipulations, though, were attached to the infusion of state funds. One stipulation for state money revolved around whether a particular project is ready for construction and contracts signed between the state and the recipients of the funding. The state money was contingent on each project meeting its contract requirements.
“They (TVRR) were supposed to start last spring," Marty Andersen, ConnectOregon program manager, said. “They haven’t done anything.”
The ConnectOregon program, Andersen said, is trying to work with TVRR, but time is running out.
“We have to spend the money. We can’t continue to wait,” Andersen said. “ODOT was not able to wait. I’m sure they feel bad.”
Because the two projects were necessarily connected, he said the funding approved for the Oregon Eastern Railroad was canceled along with the grain-handling facility.
The ConnectOregon funds will now go to other projects, Andersen said.
Also, in a separate case, the ODOT is moving to cancel funding for another project, also tied to TVRR and linked to the investment of private money, ODOT Region 5 Manager Monte Grove said.
That project, which is included in the current state Transportation Improvement Program, was designed to make improvements on Southeast Second Street, from East Idaho to the 18th Avenue overpass, and on unimproved parts of Southwest 18th out to Oregon Highway 201 and Alameda Drive, from Southwest 18th south to the site of the planned bio-refinery.
