Nov 9 2010
Enerkem, a company that converts waste into biofuel, reported that its US-based affiliate has completed the requirements of the US federal environment assessment to get approval for the construction of a waste-to-ethanol plant.
The biorefinery plant, to be built at Pontotoc in Mississippi, got a funding grant of US$50 million last year from the US Department of Energy (DOE). To avail the funding, Enerkem had to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. After the assessment, the company received a ‘Finding of No Significant Impact,’ from DOE. This permits the company to proceed with the biorefinery project without the requirement of any further environment assessment.
Pontotoc, Mississippi Biorefinery Project Site
The process of the environment assessment covered a public consultation period for which notice was sent to the general public, tribal governments, organizations, special interest groups, elected officials, businesses, and state, federal and local agencies. The notice was sent to all of them for submitting their respective comments concerning the project.
This is the second commercial biorefinery project for Enerkem after the ground breaking of a biofuel plant in Alberta, Canada. The construction of the Mississippi project is likely to start in 2011.