Magnida, ConAgra reach agreement on fertilizer plant
The construction of a fertilizer plant that will employ around 170 people in American Falls will move forward after two companies reached an agreement on an air permit appeal.
ConAgra Foods, which has a potato-processing plant near the proposed site, had filed an air permit appeal in May regarding the proposed Magnida facility.
ConAgra had expressed concerns about air emissions, wastewater and water quality, as well as the management of odor. It also expressed concern about the safety of its employees all in an appeal to the Department of Environmental Quality.
On Wednesday, however, the two companies announced they had reached an agreement on the issues.
“Our agreement fully addresses each of our prior concerns related to employee safety, emergency preparedness and air emissions,” said Greg Schlafer, president, ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston. “With the agreement now in place, we’re confident both facilities can safely and successfully coexist as major employers and contributors to the American Falls community.”
“We are pleased with the dialogue we have established with ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston during this process which allowed us to reinforce the thoroughness of the DEQ permit process and the robustness of our design,” said Ric Sorbo, Magnida CEO.
The details of the agreement were not released.
Great Rift Business Development Organization director Kristen Jensen said having this air permit free and clear now allows them a path to be able to move forward to focus on bids, financing, and to start construction by spring.
“They need jobs, and this new tax base will help our schools…and all of our different budgets from the library to the cemetery district,” Jensen said. “This tax base increase of $400 million will have an impact and so personally, I know how much this will help people’s lives here.”
According to Magnida’s website, the plant will be fully operational in 2017. During construction of the multi-billion dollar facility, 1,500 to 2,000 workers will be on site. Click here for more information.
Jensen said the Magnida plant will provide roughly 170 skilled jobs for 40-to-50 years.
She said the eight-month delay over the air permit appeal has put too long of a stall on getting these jobs into the rural community.
So, Jensen put together a grassroots campaign, calling upon officials from: Power County, American Falls, and Pocatello. She said for the past two weeks they successfully encouraged people to write-in and call Governor C.L. Butch Otter and the Department of Commerce to urge them to get this project moving.
“I firmly believe all of the calls and e-mails sent in to the governor’s office was the biggest help behind getting an orchestrated meeting between the two companies because prior to this time, they have not been able to successfully get together and work through this,” Jensen added. “So, I will never underestimate the power of a grassroots effort. People are starting to wake up and people are starting to move.”
Jensen said this project is personal to her, saying this has become her whole life, since the success of bringing the plant into American Falls also means success for the community and those who live there.
