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Rentech wants new trestle, second railway
Published Sunday, March 16, 2008
NATCHEZ — On Monday, the Adams County Board of Supervisors will meet with representatives from Rentech and the port of Natchez to discuss the installation of new a new railroad trestle Rentech said will be need to operate successfully in Adams County.
Rentech’s Natchez project manager Joe Regnery said a second additional railway might also be requested.
Regnery said the new trestle and railway could also benefit the Natchez Port.
Regnery said Rentech and port representatives will ask the supervisors to secure a Community Development Block Grant that would be used to fund the project.
Director of the Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District Wirt Peterson said the CDBG usually requires some type of funding match from the local municipality, in this case Adams County.
Peterson said he would rather discuss funding specifics after first presenting them to the board.
“They normally require some type of local contribution,” he said. “But not always.”
Regnery said the existing trestle, running from the port to the IP site, will not support the amount of weight needed to sustain moving the massive equipment Rentech will need to build its plant.
Regnery said the existing trestle will need to be upgraded in order to support up 125 tons.
In addition to using the railway to bring machinery in, the railway could also be used to ship the finished product from the plant, once it’s operational.
Regnery said a second railway would also be helpful to the port since the port and Rentech would likely cause congestion for each another.
The port is currently the only user of the existing railway and trestle.
Comments
Posted by speakup (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 3:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
seems like they all ways want some thing. i'll still beleive it when they open
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 7:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I kinda thought they were a "sure thing"....does this mean they are a no-go if they don't get what they want?
Then maybe they should have gone to a town that isn't hurting for money.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 16, 2008 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Natchez Democrat Jan. 20,2008
[Regnery said the paperwork will not be filed until construction starts and Rentech has a better understanding of what equipment they will be using at the Natchez site.
Regnery said has multiple options regarding what components they can build their plant from.
The individual machinery will still produce the same product but each component will have different environmental impacts Regnery said.
“We take into account environmental stewardship in every decision we make,’’ he said.]
Just wondering. How has it been determined that the trestle is not strong enough for shipments into and from the old IP site?
I hope this means that Rentech is further along with their planning and plant design than previously reported in the paper.
However, I do not remember an article about a successful 10 bbl per day R&D project in Colorado. Remember, the R&D project was supposed to be forerunner for design of the plant.
Posted by kpage (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
...I wanna railway, and a bicycle, and an Easy Bake Oven, aaannnnnd I want Rockem Sockem Robets, and some new hot wheels....
Posted by speakup (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
there was a legal thing in the back of the paper a week or so ago about some one or company sueing joe. any one see it or no about it?
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
New one on me speakup.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 12:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
gemccull, as usual, a very good post and I will be waiting to read all the anwers they come up with when they figure them out.
Posted by eagle1 (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Rentech has already paid an Engineering Firm to analyze the trestle. In VERY poor shape to say the least. Go down there and check it out yourself. I doubt I'd walk across it, much less put 150 tons on it. Also, most companies want something from the county or municipality when locating business. It's called competition. Cites and counties are supposed to compete for business by offering tax breaks or incentives or whatever is necessary. Jeez, we should be asking "whatever you want we'll provide." Not rolling our eyes in disgust. WE NEED RENTECH, they do not need us.
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i think vidalia would be a better location for them
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 16, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Rentech has already paid an Engineering Firm to analyze the trestle. In VERY poor shape to say the least."
When I reread the article, It sure seems that Rentech wants another rail crossing over the creek and that request has nothing to do with the serviceability of the old trestle.
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
kpage, you left out land, tax breaks, tax free status for years....so on and so forth....lol....
i hope it all works out before much longer....I hate to see my hometown drying up and washing away with every storm...
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 16, 2008 at 5:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
this deal could bankrupt the county.you think they would learn from nrmc
Posted by Swapmeet (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 11:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You have to offer some incentives for attracting businesses. Denham Springs went through this when getting the new Bass Pro Shops. Many locals didn't want them getting the tax breaks, but the store opened employing over 200 I think and on the first day of business a few thousand customers visited which means business for the rest of Den. Springs. If Rentech gets in here and provides jobs then it will mean that many more people with jobs who will spend their money in Natchez. The same goes for the prison being built. I know it is not going to be the highest paying job in the world but it will give a lot of people a better salary than they were or are making which means they spend more money in Natchez. Spending of more money=stimulation of the local economy. And this will be year-round spending. Not just seasonal spending which occurs in the tourist industry. We need to attract businesses. Look at what Jindal and the Louisiana legislature just did in their special session. They are making their state pro-business which will make their state conducive to business development and a stimulated economy.
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm surprised we still have freight train service
I'm glad to see Rentech is planning ahead, it would be foolish of them to build without good freight train service, can't blame them for asking for that. I'm just surprised it hasn't become an issue previously. A decent port would have that. We need additional train facilities to attract some good industry.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 17, 2008 at 12:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay, one would think that Rentech would have contacted the railroad company about the maximum weight of loads over the trestle. The railroad should be the one to decide if they think the trestle is safe. Rentech did not have to spend one cent to find out if their proposed shipments into the old IP site were within railroad tolerances.
Now, if Rentech needs an additional spur to get product from the port to the plant that is another issue.
What makes Rentech suspect is the production numbers and investment numbers change so often that even the paper cannot keep up. In addition, Rentech seems to be as flaky as the Rivera group. Remember the Rivera group has a process to get 5 gallons of soy bean oil from a bushel.
I hope that I am WRONG!!
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Does this mean if Rentech gets their trestle they are absolutely coming here ? If that is the case then by all means give them their trestle .
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i say if they build the plant give them 2 trestles...but rentech needs to put up something.
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