The proposed IBE Virginia ethanol plant, slated for the City of Chesapeake, VA on the Elizabeth River and on the border with Portsmouth, VA, bit the dust at 3:30 AM this Wednesday morning.
The City of Chesapeake, VA denied a required local use permit for the facility after a marathon 9 hour meeting and public hearing.
The 237 million gallon per year plant would have been one of the largest to be constructed in the United States and would have been the first ethanol plant on the Eastern Coast.
Leading the opposition were citizens from the historic Craddock neighborhood of Portsmouth, VA and other neighborhoods in Chesapeake that would have been most directly affected by the siting of the proposed plant. The City of Portsmouth, VA officially joined the opposition with a declaration from the Portsmouth City Council.
IBE was intending to bring about 80% of the plant's need for corn to the site in Panamax ships from Brazil. The facility was heavily promoted by local port authorities, agiculture groups in Virginia, state government and other interests.
Although the benefits of the $400+ million plant were highly touted by its sponsors, overwhelming community concern about plant odors, air pollution, water demand and interference with local neighborhood quality of life ultimately impressed the Chesapeake Council to deny the permit. Hundreds of citizens in opposition attended the Council meeting and over 100 speakers addressed the Council.
The Chesapeake Planning Commission had previously recommended that the IBE local use permit be denied. Chesapeake Council member Cliff Hayes, Jr. made the council motion to deny the permit, seconded by council member Dr. Ella Ward.
Hayes:
http://www.chesapeake.va.us/...
Ward:
http://www.chesapeake.va.us/...
Elected officials and area citizens had previously made visits to other ethanol plant sites in the midwest, some of which were causing odor problems.
http://www.chesapeake.va.us/...
[the author must reveal that he was a consultant on this matter to Stokes Environmental, an environmental contractor to the City of Portsmouth...for disclosure to readers]