Let's see now. Hundreds of thousands of dollars to fire companies that don't have alcohol fire suppression equipment. If this would have remained hidden, I bet those companies would treat it as a windfall. Now the cat's out of the bag, will they be forced to spend it on alc. fire suppression equip.? In which case their silence was bought with an item the ethanol plant operator should have provided as a condition prior to approval of the plant. Instead, the operator used it for backroom negotiations. Sounds like a business on the up-and-up, right?

What people don't know they won't think about and it won't concern them, much less be able to take action on concerns because the deadline for appeals has passed. Are we lacking sunshine in this process?

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a second here...

What gives the fire company the right to accept or reject the plant's fire and safety plans?

The word is "review" not accept or reject. The fire departments have a right to review and make comment or recommendation.

Good observation.

This whole affair stinks, and is yet another perfect example of the local good ole' boy culture that worries about who's making money first, and the concerns of the local residents somewhere way, way down the priority list.