BioCycle May 2006, Vol. 47, No. 5, p. 58
People with an idea, full-time commitment and energy savvy make tremendous economic impact to “displace our unhealthy dependence on foreign oil.”

THE LATEST ENTRANT into the struggle to replace imported petroleum with home-grown renewable power will be located on 276 acres near Cadiz, Ohio and by this time next year, there will be a $73 million plant making 20 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year plus animal feed and methane gas producing green electricity. The Harrison Ethanol plant – owned by Farmers’ Ethanol LLC of Adamsville, Ohio – benefited from incentive packages such as the state Job Creation Tax Credit, eligibility for Ohio Air Quality Development Authority funding and positive legislation. Said the Ohio director of agriculture about people like Wendel Dreve, Marion Gilliland and others involved in moving the plant forward:
“These people came to us with an idea. They believed in what they were doing, and they have a deep and abiding love for the Appalachian region. They made believers out of us and did everything right. This project will have a tremendous economic impact on Harrison County and eastern Ohio. … The time has come for us to rely on renewable resources and displace our unhealthy dependence on foreign oil.”
Regarding a timeline for construction of the Harrison Ethanol facility, Farmers’ Ethanol presented these “public milestones”:
June 16, 2004 – An administrative and engineering application to install and operate a 12,800 animal unit feeding operation (CAFO) is submitted to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
August 25 , 2004 – Ohio EPA issues public notice for combined National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) & Combined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) & Ethanol plant; No challenges to permit after 30 day notice.
October 12 2004 – Ohio Air Quality Development Authority unanimously votes to approve resolution authorizing Air Quality Bonds not to exceed $70 million for benefit of Harrison Ethanol.
January 10, 2005 – Ohio ratifies the $15,196,738 Economic Incentive and Abatement package for Harrison Ethanol. Three weeks later, the Ohio Tax Authority approves Harrison Ethanol’s Job Creation Tax Credit.
February 16, 2005 – Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury retroactively approves Make-A-Legacy Foundation as a Public Charitable Foundation to benefit rural agricultural producers for biorefinery technology transfer.
March 15, 2005 – Ohio EPA delivers permits to install a 20 million gallon ethanol facility to Farmers’ Ethanol/ Harrison Ethanol for air permit, storm water permit, and NPDES permit.
September 30, 2005 – Harrison Ethanol purchases 276 acres from Consol Energy in Harrison County.
November 14, 2005 – Southern Ohio Agriculture and Community Development Foundation publicly ratifies the $1 million grant to Harrison Ethanol to purchase land.
December 6, 2005 – Harrison Ethanol receives $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from Ohio Department of Development for public utility infrastructure.
January 4, 2006 – Farmers’ Ethanol presents documents for creation of Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards on thermal efficiency, best practices for energy conversion, access to transmission and distribution of energy.
January 12, 2006 – Harrison Ethanol receives final $500,000 grant award from United States Department of Agriculture for “Best Technical Merit” for Renewable Energy Machinery and Equipment.
January 30, 2006 – Ohio Governor Bob Taft with many officials and investors dedicates the 276-acre ethanol biorefinery site for American Energy Independence for Ohio farmers and cattlemen and dynamic markets, community betterment.
February 4, 2006 – Farmers’ Ethanol presents a petition to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for creation of Ohio Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards on green energy production.
The Harrison Ethanol biorefinery will consist of an ethanol distillation facility to convert about 9 million bushels of corn annually to ethanol. The refinery is estimated to be capable of producing 20 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year, as well as animal feed and goods for human consumption, such as corn oil. The ethanol will be used as fuel additive for vehicles, while 12,000 heads of beef and dairy cattle will be on-site to consume distiller’s grains. Animal waste will be processed in an anaerobic digester, generating by-products that include methane gas and liquid fertilizer. As reported in the Harrison News-Herald, the methane will generate green electricity for the facility.