Ethanol workshop set for Nov. 19 in Sidney

Monday, November 12, 2007 3:32 PM MST

NASHUA, Mont. n All who are interested in biofuels, economic development and a clean environment are reminded that the Ethanol Workshop will be held next week in Sidney, Mont.

The educational and training workshop, set for 8 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 19, at the Elks Lodge in Sidney, will promote and educate the public about the production and use of ethanol. The workshop will include presentations from nationally recognized speakers, such as Dr. Kevin Hicks, research leader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service’s Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoore, Penn. Hicks has worked for a number of years to develop ethanol and other valuable products from small grains, including barley and wheat. He will address new technical breakthroughs for fuel ethanol production from hulled and hull-less barley. Other key speakers include Larry Johnson of Colonge, Minn., a consultant with 30 years of experience in ethanol business development; Eric Mork of Colwich, Kan., director of business development for ICM, Inc., an industry leader in ethanol plant design, construction and support.

Several Montana agencies will also contribute to the workshop, with Brian Spangler and Howard Haines of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality addressing the Montana permitting process; Charles Flynn of the USDA Eastern Research Center in Sidney will address the northeastern Montana farmers role in the ethanol industry and Dick Iverson of Eastern Plains RC&D will address numbers in ethanol and how they work for the area. In addition, Montana Sen. Don Steinbeisser of Sidney will address Montana laws and how they apply to ethanol production.

There is a participation fee, which includes lunch and coffee breaks. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with planning. A registration form is available on the EPAC Web site at http://www.ethanolmt.org. For more information, call Shirley Ball at 406-785-3722.

This workshop is organized by Ethanol Producers And Consumers (EPAC), a national grassroots, non-profit organization, involved in educating about the production and use of ethanol and biofuels. The workshop is part of a series funded through a grant from the USDOL Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) program through the Montana Department of Commerce in conjunction with Montana Department Labor and Industry.

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