Warden continues talks with biodiesel firm

WARDEN — The Seattle-based Washington Biodiesel and the Port of Warden are continuing talks of bringing a biodiesel facility to Warden after two years.

Washington Biodiesel is dealing with a new investor group from California, which replaces a New York group, Port technical advisor Mike Conley said Monday.

The project hasn’t broken ground yet, he told the Columbia Basin Herald. It was expected groundbreaking would happen in 2006.

“I think they spent a lot of money in engineering and permitting,” he said. “As far as any physical groundbreaking, it won’t happen until they get their full financial package in place.”

More information about the project’s development is expected in the next couple of weeks.

The port bought 51 acres for the project along the railroad, which was a necessary service for the company.

He explained the land is under a 50-year lease with an option for an additional 30 years. The port will always own the land.

The company made two years of payments on the land.

Recent talks with the company have been more encouraging than previous discussions, he explained.

He said the company received a number of extensions on a state Community Economic Revitalization (CERB) loan. 

Money for the project’s oil seed crushing facility or equipment would come from a $3.2 million state loan, most of which is sitting in a U.S. Bank trust account.

Grant County PUD received $1.9 million of the loan for substation work.

If the project doesn’t go forward, the PUD will refund the money, Conley said.

“We’ve been pretty careful with those state dollars,” he noted.

Port Manager Bob Whitaker and Kevin Raymond, an attorney with Washington Biodiesel, will be participating in a conference call today with a CERB board manager about the loan.