WSMB News Biodiesel Plant Good News for State MADISON, Wis. -- October 21, 2005 -- Approval for a biodiesel production plant in the Dane County Village of DeForest is great news for Wisconsin soybean producers and for all state residents, says Keith Ripp, president of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board and soybean producer from Lodi, Wis. "Establishing local, value-added soybean processing facilities has been a primary goal of the Wisconsin Soybean Programs for the last few years, and the proposed Anamax Energy Systems plant is a great first step towards that goal," says Ripp. "With the consistent demand this plant will create for soybean oil, the logical next step is a soybean processing facility in the state and we will continue working on that." Anamax Energy Services, a division of Anamax Corp, Green Bay, was granted a conditional use permit for a 12,300 square foot processing facility in the Deforest Industrial Park. The plant will be located next to the corporation's existing Burbank Grease Services facility and will make approximately 20 million gallons of biodiesel annually, primarily from soybean oil and other domestically produced, renewable oils. This announcement couldn't have come at a better time, because higher-than-expected soybean yields and transportation problems nationwide have caused soybean stocks to pile up across the country, says Ripp. "State Soybean growers need this plant and the plant needs state soybean producers." "This facility also is great news for state residents," Ripp explains. "Bio-based diesel fuel is used in everything from school and city buses, to farm tractors, semi tractors and even boats. Along with its value-added benefits for growers, biodiesel helps reduce toxic emissions and air pollution. Biodiesel is good for human health, the environment and the state's economy. It also helps commercial fleet operators comply with state and federal clean air requirements." The American Trucking Associations' Board of Directors recently unanimously endorsed an energy resolution that includes promoting low blends of biodiesel as part of the organization's efforts to help shape a strong national energy plan. The resolution looks to biodiesel as a way to increase total diesel fuel supplies, improve the balance between environmental concerns and fuel efficiency, and promote biodiesel use of up to 5 percent (B5). The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) administers the soybean grower checkoff statewide and is dedicated to maximizing profitability of Wisconsin soybean producers via research, education and outreach initiatives. Working together with the national United Soybean Board, WSMB directs state soybean funds to statewide, national and international projects as part of the Soybean Promotion and Research Checkoff program. Additional information about the Wisconsin Soybean Checkoff and Wisconsin Soybean programs is available online at http://www.wisoybean.org/association/membership.html or by calling the Soybean Program office in Madison at 608-274-7522.