Magnida fertilizer plant not coming to American Falls after all

Magnida, a large fertilizer plant, was slated to come to American Falls. It has been in the works for at least ten years. But this week, the county learned it will no longer be coming.

The site was planned to go near Lamb Weston. It would have brought around 100 permanent, steady jobs and several thousand dollars in income for the county.

County commissioner Bill Lasley said expired EPA permits and lack of funding are the reasons the plant has decided not to come in. The plant was still lacking about $2 billion in financing for money it needed.

Lasley said the company spent about $40 million to try and make the project happen.

Lasley said one positive thing the county will be able to take away from this is that the county was able to purchase its own water rights to the land. Lasley said that will allow for other economic development down the road.

“Moving forward in the future, those water rights – they’re industrial water rights and right now, we’ve got them rented out,” Lasley said. “And we’ve got them secured for the next several years.”