Tim MacDonald Havre Daily News tmacdonald@havredailynews.com
The proposed Hill County industrial center is edging its way towards reality. The 30-acre plot west of U.S. Highway 87 near Fort Assinniboine has passed historical/archeological and wetlands surveys and is now ready for a final boundary survey before Greater Montana Bio Energies can begin construction on their biodiesel/ lubricants plant. “The surveyors around here have a lot on their plates, but they should be out there soon,” Hill County Commissioner Doug Kaercher said. The bio energies firm is eager to get started on the building, Commissioner Mike Anderson said. Planting of the camelina, which will be processed to make the oil-seed diesel and lubricants, begins as early as March. The company wants to make sure the plant is built and up and running, and the staff is trained by mid summer when the seed is harvested. “They have tweaked our plat a little,” Kaercher said. “To make it fit their needs better.” The proposed plot is on a spur of the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad, and close to U.S. Highways 87 and 2 to make shipping their products easier. The Hill County Commissioners plan to develop 30 acres, instead of the 10 or so acres required for the plant to provide space for value-added businesses such as packaging and shipping. The plant is expected to provide an alternative crop to area farmers and increase area employment.
