To the Editor:
In response to Ryan Mordan’s article, “Audience Skeptical of Proposed Bion Ethanol-From-Cattle Project†(Wednesday, July 14, 2010), we would like to highlight some benefits to the Bion project that have been overlooked.
The Bion project is clearly not a traditional farming enterprise. At the heart of Bion’s approach is our integral commitment to the New York State Environmental Quality Review process. This permit process protects the interests of the community by ensuring community environmental and quality of life standards are met. All new business activity must seek approval by the Review and only those that prove worthy receive permits. Bion will be no exception to this rule.
However, the economic benefits to the region justify the exercise. In addition to the 600 full-time, non-transferable jobs that our project will generate, associated economic activities will increase net family farm income throughout the region. How? By creating robust, new markets similar to the new corn demand created by the re-start of Sunoco’s ethanol plant in Volney. Bion’s livestock production facility will benefit the small family farms by providing increased local demand for their outputs. As corn producers benefit from an ethanol plant that provides increased demand and functions as an alternative buyer, Bion will perform as a new customer in the region.
And use of new treatment technology will ensure that those underlying project economic activities are environmentally sustainable. Our website (bionoswegoproject.com) provides detailed answers to many questions, and we are updating more information to include those raised in Wednesday’s forum.
Jeff Kapell
For Bion Environmental Technologies
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