County cancels pelletizer project

Camrose County councillors have changed their minds.

Although the county budgeted $150,000 for the purchase and installation of a pelletizer for the disposal of screenings at the County Seed Cleaning Plant, the decision was halted due to some concerns from agricultural fieldman and environmental services manager Paul King.

Council authorized Paul's department to research the costs, feasibility, markets and feed stocks for a pelletizer to be installed at the Camrose County Seed Cleaning Plant.

"Demand for pellets is seasonal and temporary at best, feed stocks are 100 per cent weather and disease-factor related and may or may not occur in any given season, Paul reported to council. "One plant in Lougheed has actually shut down. They had installed a pelletizer for the disposal of ergot screenings and it  has since ceased operation due to composition of the pellets and the lack of lignin, resulting in dusting and the pellets not remaining solid. They found it wasn't viable and that they would have to add straw to it."

Currently there are no pelletizers operating within the county or surrounding area strictly for the purpose of ergot screenings pelletizing. "We have been able to secure an alternative disposal source where the producer is burning the screenings in his farm heating system," concluded Paul.