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What is this?
County eyes water project to benefit Rentech
Published Saturday, May 23, 2009
NATCHEZ — A multi-million dollar project in the works could provide much needed water to Rentech and cash for a yet-to-be-named second party.
The Natchez-Adams County Environmental Infrastructure/Alluvial Lateral Aquifer Development Project would tap an aquifer under the Mississippi River bed that would be used to supply Rentech with water.
Wednesday the Adams County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in support of Rentech’s plan.
But Rentech Director of Project Development Dennis Korn said the project has the potential to benefit more than just Rentech.
Korn said Rentech envisions the water supplying the needs of any other industrial developments near the port.
And Rentech won’t be managing the water either.
“It would be a public works project with Rentech as a major customer,” he said.
While the plan is still in the early stages, several entities could act as owner-operator of the water plant.
Korn named Adams County, the City of Natchez and the St. Catherine’s Creek Utility Authority as possible recipients of the grants.
And not only is the project big, but it’s expensive.
Korn said initial estimates for the project give it a $24 million price tag.
But just where that money comes from remains to be seen.
Korn said Rentech will essentially use the county, the city or another entity to apply for federal grants to fund the work.
Rentech has already made a request to Sen. Thad Cochran’s office for $1.2 million in grants for a feasibility study.
While Korn said he did not know how Cochran’s office would chose to allocate that money, he felt funding for the feasibility study would likely go to Mississippi Sate University for the school to conduct the study.
“That still needs to be sorted out with the government,” he said.
Once fully operational Rentech’s $4.5 billion plant, to be located at the former International Paper mill, will make 25,000 barrels a day of clean-burning diesel fuel.
Korn said it’s still to soon to know how much river water will be needed to keep the plant running.
The water from the aquifer is sand-filtered and should not need additional filtering before use, Korn said.
Natchez Mayor Jake Middleton said he has seen Rentech’s proposal and expects the board of aldermen to adopt a similar resolution of support next week.
“I don’t see any problems with it,” he said.
The project currently has no start or end date.
Comments
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 12:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We are draining our Aquifers at an alarming rate. Here we going tapping into one with a huge straw to suck it out so support industry. It's not like we are going to pull this water out of the ground to drink. It will be used for cooling and to make steam. They just want the good water because they don't want to pay to filter and treat water from the river.
Cities up and down the river use the river water for drinking, but it is not good enough for Rentech. Hmmmmm.
Posted by sandyman7 (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG BOS/BOA Be very careful about this idea....Rentech seems to find ways of "using" people and their money avenues with no cost to them,,Do NOT LEAP INTO THIS WITHOUT VERY CAREFUL INVESTIGATION INTO IT!!!!!
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I say no deal.
Posted by Bamaman (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They use it to drink after expensive filtering Pro Natchez - thats something they (Rentech) are not wanting to do is expensive filtering.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 5:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They will fall for it and get skunked bad.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don,t know about water under the river,but I know that OSHA to IPCO they couldn,t use river water unless they landfilled the sediment that was left after they filtered the river water. That,s why they had 26 water wells and didn,t use river water,it would have been to expensive to handle the sediment left over from filtering.
Posted by bulldozer (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 6:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
who ownes the mineral rights to this water? You can't drill for oil unless you purchase legal rights from below.
Posted by jlmorris (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 8:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems to me that "settling ponds" would be the right answer for Rentech. Pump the water from the river into a large basin and let the sand, mud, etc settle to the bottom. It is a strategy that has been used by manufactures for years and years.
Allowing Rentech to access a quality (drinkable) water supply for their process is ludicrous. Drinking water will be at a premium in the future. Why use this valuable resource for a manufacturing process.
But, then, I think Rentech is a pipe dream for local politicians.
Rentech has not demonstrated that they can produce fuel from coal at their R&D facility. One would think if they could the WORLD would have been notified.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on May 23, 2009 at 10:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe it should read Rentech suckers in another bunch.
Posted by harjedalen (anonymous) on May 24, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe the water could also be piped into Ferriday. Let the experts do their study and best wishes for success, Rentech and Natchez. The aquafier beneath the River should be replenished automatically from the riverwater filtering down through the permeable layers. Perhaps if we access this naturally filtered water in tremendous quantities, we will have a real bargaining chip in attracting other industry to Natchez.
We need to attract major Public Works projects to this area, if they are beneficial and feasible.
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