Ethanol Plant Permit Shot Down in Canyon County

NAMPA, Idaho (AP) — County commissioners in southwestern Idaho have denied a permit to a company that hoped to build an ethanol plant near Caldwell.

The Idaho Press-Tribune newspaper in Nampa reported Tuesday that the Canyon County Commissioners denied the conditional use permit sought by Demeter Bio-Resources. The company hoped to use the ethanol plant as part of a food processing facility to convert barley grain and Demeter's proprietary crop SunSpud tubers into ethanol fuel.

The current zoning on the land allows for a food processing facility but not an ethanol plant. Demeter Bio-Resources describes itself as a "conscientious agriculture" company that aims to use all parts of its feedstocks for its products, which include food and renewable energy.