By Gregg Hoffmann
Sparta – The dispute over a proposed ethanol plant in the Sparta might be headed to mediation.
The Sparta Planning Commission.voted 4-2 Monday to postpone a recommendation on rezoning land to allow construction of the plant for 30 days, in hopes Century Foods, which opposes the plant, and Coulee Area Renewable Energy LLC (CARE) might seek professional mediation..
The delay on rezoning the site from agriculture to manufacturing means the Sparta City Council will not be able to vote on rezoning Tuesday night.
The commission’s decision came after a heated, two-hour public hearing attended both by supporters of CARE and opponents of the plant’s proposed location near the main facility for Century Foods International in Sparta.
Century Foods officials argue emissions from the ethanol plant will contaminate its milk-based products and endanger employees’ jobs. The farmers and other investors in CARE dispute those contentions.
A lawsuit in Circuit Court filed by Century Foods against a proposed ethanol plant in Sparta ruled that proper procedures were not followed by city officials in approving early plans for the plant. CARE, the group proposing the plant, reapplied and the process is ongoing in city goverment.
Century now has threatened to file a suit in federal court, claiming the plant will violate the Clean Air Act. The company also has threatened to leave Sparta if the ethanol plant is built.
