Jacob Ogles
A land development package cleared a House committee with new language that could benefit a North Florida ethanol plant.
The House Commerce Committee advanced the bill (HB 579), which addresses a number of zoning regulations and requirements. Among those changes, the bill would amend Florida’s Agricultural Lands and Practices Act to specifically say ethanol production through the fermentation, distillation or drying of plant products does not constitute chemical manufacturing or chemical refining.
“This subsection is intended to be remedial and clarifying in nature and shall apply retroactively to any law, regulation, or ordinance or any interpretation thereof,” the bill reads.
The language about ethanol was added to the bill through an amendment first published Monday, a day before it was taken up in committee.
The language lands before lawmakers as a legal battle unfolds between Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) and the city of Fernandina Beach. The Northeast Florida municipality in February rejected an application to build a bioethanol plant there, as reported by News4Jax. Officials in the city based the rejection on Fernandina Beach’s comprehensive land-use plan and local development codes, but RYAM said the city misclassified the nature of the plant.
The company has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the city decision, and the case could get an assist from the Legislature if lawmakers say ethanol production cannot be considered chemical refinement or manufacturing.
On an RYAM website promoting the project, the company said a plant, located at the site of an existing pump mill, would allow for the creation of a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels while creating 300 local manufacturing jobs.
“Four generations of RYAM employees have lived and worked locally. While other companies send jobs overseas, RYAM continues to invest in Fernandina Beach, creating jobs and making products that directly benefit local residents,” the website reads.
“The 2G BioEthanol project will help sustain good jobs, support a strong economy, and build a bright future for Fernandina Beach.”
The company published a hazard analysis that determined there were “no scenarios in which the effects have an impact on the existing pulping process area and no effects outside the property boundary.”
But the project has attracted local opposition. Fernandina Wins published a website opposing ethanol manufacturing in the city, arguing the plant poses an environmental risk to Amelia River. That website says the city’s comprehensive plan specifically prohibits chemical manufacturing and refining.
“Ethanol is a highly flammable hazardous chemical that carries substantial risk of accidental fires and explosions,” the No Ethanol Fernandina website reads.
The House bill heads now to the floor for a vote. A Senate companion bill (SB 1080) also is awaiting a vote on the floor in the upper chamber, but includes no language about ethanol.
