Lake representative’s vote on Landfill Board ends waste energy plant proposal

    The Landfill of North Iowa Board turned down an agreement Thursday night proposed by Creative Energy Systems.  The action thwarted plans for a proposed $35 million waste-to-energy plant in Mason City with 50 jobs.
    Tony Nelson, Clear Lake’s representative on the landfill board voted against the measure.  He was among 24 of the 29 board members who attended Thursday’s meeting at

the landfill.  Landfill board member votes are weighted based upon population.  Using the formula of one vote per 1,500 people made Nelson’s vote count as six. 
    The proposed agreement failed by six votes, 35-24.
    Mason City (with 19 votes), Cerro Gordo County (four votes) and Hanlontown (one vote) were the only entities in favor.  The remainder of board members opposed.
    Creative Energy Systems, of Larkspur, Colo., would have contracted with the landfill to divert much of the solid waste going to the landfill to its plant, where the waste would have been put through a process to create gas that would be burned to create electricity.  That electricity would then be sold to Alliant Energy. Without the solid waste from the landfill, the project is essentially dead.
    Nelson said the Landfill Board decision was the most- Read More Via e-Edition