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GREENFIELD ETHANOL:IT'S BEEN MAKING ETHANOL FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS.

September 09, 2009

IT'S BEEN MAKING ETHANOL FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS.

BUT TODAY, THE "GREENFIELD ETHANOL PLANT" IN JOHNSTOWN JUST EAST OF PRESCOTT "OFFICIALLY" WENT OPERATIONAL.

DOZENS OF VIP'S -- INCLUDING FEDERAL NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER LISA RAITT AND LOCAL MP'S -- GATHERED TO SING THE PRAISES OF THE GASOLINE ADDITIVE.

AND, THE LARGE FINANCIAL BOOST THE PLANT HAS BROUGHT TO THE AREA.

NEWSWATCH'S CHRIS HARVEY REPORTS.

THIS 185 MILLION DOLLAR FACILITY IS THE LARGEST ETHANOL PLANT IN CANADA.

IT CONSUMES 75 THOUSAND BUSHELS OF CORN KERNELS A DAY, EQUAL TO 55 OF THESE TRACTOR TRAILERS, FULL OF CORN.

THE ETHANOL PLANT OPENED LAST DECEMBER WITH OVER 130 MILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING.

NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER LISA RAITT WAS AMONG THE DIGNITARIES ON HAND TO OFFICIALLY CUT THE RIBBON.

LISA RAITT

"SO ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST WITH YOUR ENDEAVOURS, BECAUSE YOUR SUCCESS HERE IN JOHNSTOWN WILL BENEFIT ALL CANADIANS."

THE PLANT WILL CHURN OUT 200 MILLION LITRES OF ETHANOL EVERY YEAR -- THAT'S BLENDED WITH GASOLINE AND SOLD AT THE PUMPS.

MOTORISTS HAVE NOT YET EMBRACED THE FUEL ADDITIVE, BUT THE MINISTER IS CONFIDENT THAT WILL HAPPEN.

LISA RAITT:

"IF THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BY CHOOSING A BLENDED FUEL THEN THEY WILL DO SO."

THIS NEW FACTORY ALSO PROVIDES A NEW MARKET FOR FARMERS TO SELL THEIR CROPS DIRECTLY TO GREENFIELD.

CORN KERNELS ARE STRIPPED FROM THE COB AND SHIPPED TO THE PLANT WHERE THEY UNDERGO A FERMENTING PROCESS TO MAKE HIGH QUALITY ALCOHOL.

LISA RAIT:

"ETHANOL'S IMPORTANCE TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS IS INDISPUTABLE IN THIS COUNTRY.

THE PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL CREATES NEW MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORN PRODUCERS AND WHEAT PRODUCERS IN THE PRAIRIES."

CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER KEN FIELD DOESN'T BUY THE ARGUMENT THAT MAKING ETHANOL TAKES AWAY FROM THE FOOD SUPPLY.

HE SAYS THERE IS A CORN SURPLUS OF 1.9 BILLION BUSHELS IN CANADA.

KEN FIELD:

"AND THERE'LL BE 1.6 BILLION BUSHELS THAT WILL BE EXPORTED, HALF OF IT FOR FREE TO COUNTRIES THAT CAN USE IT.

SO THOSE PEOPLE WHO TOLD YOU THERE WAS A FOOD FOR FUEL ISSUE, THAT WAS WHAT I CALL THE BIG LIE."

THE LOCAL CONSERVATIVE MP SAYS THIS PLANT IS HAVING A HUGE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE REGION...BEYOND THE 50 PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE.

GORD BROWN:

"SO MUCH INVESTMENT HAS BEEN MADE.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ONGOING BENEFITS.

AS I SAID IT'S GREAT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S GREAT FOR THE ECONOMY AND IT'S GREAT FOR OUR FARMERS RIGHT HERE IN LEEDS AND GRENVILLE."

THE COMPANY SAYS USING ETHANOL BLENDED GASOLINE REDUCES GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 370 THOUSAND TONS A YEAR, EQUAL TO TAKING 46 THOUSAND CARS OFF THE ROAD.

CHRIS HARVEY, CKWS NEWSWATCH, NEAR PRESCOTT.

GASOLINE IN ONTARIO CONTAINS FIVE- PERCENT ETHANOL RIGHT NOW -- AND THE PROVINCE WANTS TO DOUBLE THE ETHANOL CONTENT BY NEXT YEAR.

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