Turning el Ingenio in Montellano into plant to produce ethanol

[Fiesta Mama]

Has anyone heard of the potential plans for foreign owned companies to buy the ingenio in Montellano and turn it into a plant to produce ethanol fuel? What pollution effect would this have on the town? Would it be worse than the pollution caused by the sugar cane that used to be processed there?

 

[Lambada]

Yes, Forbes Energy were there in the middle of last week (they're the people who had plans for a similar plant in Manzanillo. I don't know whether those are being pursued or not):
Forbes Energy In DR

Local papers covered the visit:
EMPRESARIOS NORTEAMERICANOS INTERESADOS EN INGENIO MONTELLANO

Inversionistas americanos interesados en arrendar Ingenio para producir etanol y energ?a

This is about the sixth group to visit the mill in the last 4 years: there have been Spaniards, Canadians, a group from Chicago etc etc. I think the sticking point is the back debts on the property. My guess is local residents would be more interested in the provision of jobs than pollution issues.

 

[Fiesta Mama]

Thank you Lambada that was very helpful. Although my husband has family in Montellano and I would hate to see them living in a town with wose pollution than the Ingenio generated, at present my concerns are more selfish. My husband and I have a property in Montellano that we have not yet built on. It's has just been sitting there for a few years. If there are serious plans to move ahead with the ethanol plant, we will put our plans on hold for a few years until we are more certain of what is going to happen. If they do go ahead with the plant, I can't imagine it would be a great thing to live near? I used to see all the smoke and ash in the air when the sugar cane was burning when the Ingenio was still running but does anyone know what types of pollution an ethanol plant would put out and is it noisy and smelly?

 

[ingeniomontellano]

ingenio montellano was indeed given to lucien forbes!!! edward byron smith!!! cabioqui leased the plant, but only to turn around and give it to lucien forbes!!!