By: Nathan Werner
21 May 2004

Ethanol and the Environment

          Is an ethanol plant a good idea?  No.  There are many reasons that an ethanol plant is bad for the environment.  First of all, yes, it does lower the pollutants released by an automobile, but while it is made it releases more pollutants into the air, than are saved in the automobile.  It also lowers the water table, because it takes millions of gallons of water to make it, lets out polluted water, and gives off a horrible smell.  Also, there will be pollutants released from all of the extra traffic from the trucks that transport everything.  Ethanol is by far the worst thing that can happen to the environment.
          The first reason ethanol is a bad idea is because of all the pollutants it releases into the air.  It has been proven that these pollutants that are released create negative health effects.  At the Gopher State Ethanol plant in Minnesota, citizens that live near it complain about negative health effects that are believed to have come from irritating gaseous emissions, and dust particles released from the plant (Gopher 2).  The United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA) investigated around the plant and found high levels of carbon monoxide, methanol and formaldehyde (Ahl 1).  Due to what the ethanol plant in Lena Illinois has released into the air, there is now a blue haze rolling across the ground and residents say that they cannot breath it (Poor 2).  If this does not prove that ethanol releases pollutants into the air, than what does?
          The second reason ethanol is a bad idea, is because it uses so much water.  It takes millions of gallons of water to make ethanol.  By using this much water, it will lower the water table and a resident will have to spend thousands of dollars to dig deeper for water.  These ethanol plants use too much water and will dry up wells.
          The third reason ethanol is a bad idea, is because it releases toxic water.  The Heartland Grain Fuels ethanol plant, which was already under a one-year probationary period, was found guilty in court for releasing toxic water in 2002 (Waltman 1).  The toxins in the water were found to have killed off all of the microorganisms that the toxins came in contact with (Waltman 2).  The plant was fined 40,000 dollars.  Before 1999, the plant had ninety-six wastewater violations in a nine-year period (Waltman 3).  When someone living close to an ethanol plant needs to dig deeper for well water, they will get toxic drinking water.  If it pollutes the water, then who wants ethanol?
          Another reason why ethanol is bad for the environment is because of the bad smell an ethanol plant gives off.  In Minnesota at the Gopher State Ethanol plant, the citizens complained of odorous gaseous emissions coming from the plant (Gopher 2).   Mentioned earlier, the EPA found high levels of carbon monoxide, methanol and formaldehyde in the air (Ahl 1).  These could cause a very horrible smell in the air.  Breathing in formaldehyde is bad for the body and bad for the lungs.  The American Lung Association believes that the ethanol industry gets a lot breaks because it is politically popular (Ahl 1).  It is also a fact that formaldehyde can cause lung cancer.
          The fourth reason why ethanol is bad for the environment is because of all the diesel truck traffic transporting the corn and ethanol.  Not only do trucks let out pollutants but they also create noise pollution.  Diesel trucks are not the quietest.  They are loud and annoying.  They have a loud booming rumble that can cause a person to loose sleep.  This was found about diesel emissions:

“It is becoming increasingly clear as the results of more and more studies are compiled, that diesel emissions don’t mix.  The closer you are to the source, the worse the worse the health effects.  This is particularly true of the young, who are apt to be outdoors most often engaging in vigorous physical activities (Diesel 1).”

The extra traffic would also rip up the streets that are driven on.  This is yet another reason why an ethanol plant is a bad idea.
          The last reason why ethanol is bad for the environment is because there is always the chance for an explosion.  At the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company plant a 40,000-gallon tank exploded and killed one person.  It also hospitalized another man with first and second degree burns (Gottfries 1).  A deputy state fire marshal with the name of Steve Kellen said,

“The blast was a massive explosion and it’s highly probable, from what we’re hearing from people, that there were up to three explosions (Gottfries 1).”

With this chance of an ethanol plant exploding, why would anyone want ethanol?
          In collusion, there are many reasons why ethanol is a bad idea.  The pollution, the toxic water, the extreme water usage, the extra traffic, and the chance for an explosion are just a few.  There are so many reasons that ethanol is a bad idea, and yet very few good reasons.  With all of these reasons, who wants an ethanol plant?  Ethanol is by far the worst thing that can happen to the environment.

Works Cited

Ahl, Jonathan.  “Encouraging the Ethanol Industry to Clean Up.”  Internet:

<www.glrc.org/transcript.php3>

“Diesel Emissions and Health.”  Internet: <homepage.mac.com/oscura>

“Gopher State Ethanol.”  Internet: <www.health.state.mn.us>

Gottfried, Mara.  “Ethanol Plant Blast Kills One.”  Internet: <www.twincities.com>

“Poor Citizens of Lena.”  Internet: <www.menomonieethanol.com/lena.html>

Waltman, Scott.  “Ethanol Plant, City in Court.”  Internet:

<www.aberdeennews.com/mld>

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