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by Annie Cunningham

Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, held an ethanol roundtable with state and local agricultural officials June 6 at the Waterman Headquarters Building.

Voinovich, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s subcommittee on clean air, was seeking information and input on the future of ethanol and its benefit to Ohio and farmers. Ohio is a leader in the responsible use of ethanol as a fuel additive, which has been critical to helping all 88 counties comply with federal clean air standards. Agribusiness is Ohio’s largest industry, contributing nearly $80 billion to Ohio’s economy each year, and the state is the nation’s sixth largest corn producer.

The roundtable included Bobby Moser, executive dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University; Keith Stimpert, Ohio Farm Bureau’s vice president of government affairs; Michael Wagner, executive director of the Ohio Corn Growers Association; Don Clark, agriculture specialist for the Ohio Department of Development; Randy Hunt, state director of the USDA Rural Development; Fred Shimp, legislative director for the Ohio Department of Agriculture; Jeff Layman of OSU’s Farm Income Enhancement; Gordon Proctor, director of the Ohio Department of Transportation and other experts.

The day prior to the roundtable, the U.S. Senate accepted an amendment to the Energy Bill, which Voinovich co-sponsored, to increase the use of ethanol nationwide from 2.6 billion gallons to 5 billion gallons by 2012. This amendment increases the use of corn-based ethanol and decreases the use of MTBE, a petroleum-based fuel additive that pollutes groundwater supplies. The amendment also incorporates the Renewable Fuels Standard co-authored by Voinovich, which passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee in May. "The Renewable Fuels Standard is putting a foundation under the ethanol market," Voinovich said.

Voinovich also told roundtable participants that increasing the use of ethanol is "good for national security, economy and the environment." He said that increasing the use of clean-burning ethanol would help reduce air emissions from cars and also reduce our reliance on foreign oil. This legislation also will help boost Ohio’s economy and agriculture industry as corn is a major Ohio crop.

"The Energy Bill will reduce the trade deficit, create 214,000 new jobs and save taxpayers $3 billion a year," Voinovich said.

Wagner said that ethanol markets are opening on the East Coast, and Ohio farmers could be a major player in that market if the bill passes. Wagner also told the group the possibility of Ohio breaking ground for ethanol plants is very near. He said by-products of ethanol plants would be more profitable than the ethanol in itself. A proposed ethanol plant in Harrison County has seven profit centers, including a methane digester.

"These are things that are going to make Ohio a player in the ethanol industry," Wagner said.

Jeff Layman said that the Marathon Oil Corporation, which was founded in Ohio, uses 10 million gallons of ethanol in Ohio with none produced in the state. "There’s a big market here," he said.

Stimpert said opponents of ethanol have been singing the same song for many years, and their arguments today do not hold water. "The Energy Bill is simply good government policy, and it will do amazing things for Ohio’s farmers."

After hearing from all the roundtable participants, Voinovich said simply this: "Well, let’s do it."

CAPTION: Sen. George Voinovich held an ethanol roundtable with agricultural leaders on the Ohio State campus June 6. Pictured clockwise are Voinovich; Bobby Moser, executive dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University; Karen Holbrook, OSU president; Michael Wagner, executive director of the Ohio Corn Growers Association; and Keith Stimpert, OFBF vice president of government affairs.