CADIZ - An issue over property has led to the rejection of bids for the planned biodiesel facility in Harrison County.
At the request of Engineer Robert Sterling, commissioners rejected a total of five bids for materials for the project. The bids were originally opened in December of last year and had been tabled for several weeks. Bids were for materials for the $6 million wastewater treatment plant to be constructed south of Cadiz just off of S.R. 9.
Sterling indicated the property in question is currently under a reclamation bond. He anticipates assistance from the state on the matter and said he didn't think it was fair to ask the companies to hold their bids until the matter is resolved.
Bids were received from Pipelines Inc. of East Liverpool with a bid of $67,251.53; Ferguson Waterworks of Marietta, $72,193.30; ISCO Industries of Zanesville, $74.460.00; HD Waterworks of Ashland, $68,705.43 and James M. Cox Co., Inc, of Bethel Park, Pa., $68,093.87. The materials included 11,800 feet of 8-inch pipe, various vales, air releases and other parts.
The lone bidder for the construction portion of the project still stands and remains tabled.
Precision Pipeline Inc. of Lancaster submitted a bid of $1,004,153.40 for the first phase of the project. Commissioners said Sterling indicated the company is willing to wait on warmer weather for the job.
The entire project has been estimated at $6 million. Leaders are seeking an additional $3 million from the Ohio Water Development Authority according to discussion at a recent public hearing for the plant which will alleviate sewer issues within the village of Cadiz.
The 70-year-old system currently violates the discharge permits set forth by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The new system will allow the village to pump two of its three sewage trunk lines to the facility.
The "first of its kind" facility, which is a two-fold idea, will divert about two-thirds of the village's wastewater flow to a new aerobic treatment plant. In turn, the treated wastewater will be used to grow algae in a series of environmentally controlled ponds. The algae will then be processed to extract a type of oil which has many of the characteristics of diesel fuel.
Sterling said the primary goal of the project is to treat the wastewater in the new plant while it will have an ancillary goal of cultivating heavy lipid (oil) producing strains of algae in polishing ponds. He said the fuel grade oil will be extracted from the algae and the local government will utilize the fuel for transportation needs. In addition, the remainder of the diesel fuel could provide a source of revenue to cover the cost of operation and project amortization.
He said he believes the fuel could be produced for about $1.41 per gallon and could receive a $1 per gallon credit. "We could be making money off the final product," he said.
The new aerated lagoon-type wastewater treatment plant would be located at the former Consolidation Coal Company preparation plant site south of Cadiz. Two wastewater-pumping stations are to be installed along Oak Park and Country Club Road.
The stations will divert the supply from two of the village's three main wastewater trunklines and transport approximately 65 percent of the total from Cadiz's antiquated system.
Algae from that process will be kept in 18-inch deep ponds that will cover 10-acres of ground. The ponds are expected to produce 18,000 gallons of diesel fuel per acre.
Sterling earlier said the idea for the plant started approximately three years ago from talks with an engineer at Ohio University who developed the concept. Sterling has said experts nationwide would be involved to make the facility's design more environmentally sound.
A transparent cover system for the ponds is being discussed with a company out of Connecticut. In addition, he said plans call for an insulator for the ponds for heat.
According to Sterling the project was ranked second among some 1,600 recommended applications for the stimulus funding statewide. However, the U.S. EPA must approve the state's plans before funding could be awarded.
In other business, commissioners approved $10,922,990 in special revenue appropriations and announced budget hearings for Jan. 25 at 10 a.m.
They also appointed Chris McMillion as an assistant dog warden at the dog pound.
Sedgmer may be reached at ksedgmer@timesleaderonline.com
