Company pulls plug on proposed biodiesel plant near Pullman because of 'overwhelming negative sentiment'

Plans to develop a biodiesel plant in Pullman have fizzled after AgTech OS announced it is seeking other sites for the proposed facility.

The Port of Whitman County was notified Tuesday evening by AgTech OS, its partnering company, that it will not be building a biodiesel plant on the port’s proposed Agricultural Advancement Campus.

AgTech OS made the decision to look elsewhere for its proposed biodiesel plant because of an “overwhelming negative sentiment,” CEO Ernest Spicer said.

Spicer said the company is hoping to find a new rural location on the Palouse for the plant, which would process canola into biodiesel.

The port will continue to push for its campus, with its proposed location on Wawawai Road near Whispering Hills subdivision and the Pullman School District. Abbi Russell, the port’s outside media contact, said the agency has begun looking for partners interested in being the anchor tenant at the campus.

For more on this story, see Thursday's Daily News.