Blast

rocks

Heartland

plant

Nobody hurt

in Winthrop

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

WINTHROP -- Fire fighters and the Sibley County Sheriff's Department were called to the Heartland Corn Products plant just east of town at 6:47 a.m. Thursday after an explosion damaged a portion of the facility.

All Winthrop fire units -- two pumpers, two tankers and a rescue unit-- responded to the plant. They hooked up to a hydrant and got ready to fight a fire that blew itself out ahead of time, according to assistant fire chief Jerry Fritz.

Legs that move grain from trucks to bins and the plant's dust handling system were heavily damaged. A smaller building used to unload trucks was destroyed, Fritz said.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt because the area of the building where the blast took place was vacant.

The fire did not spread to other areas of the plant due to the large amount of steel and concrete construction.

An investigation termed the blast a minor grain dust explosion on the south side of the plant that caused major damage to grain moving equipment, according to the Sibley County Sheriff's Department.

Plant manager Ben Brown was not available for comment.

The dry grind plant began operations in 1995, produced 35 million gallons of ethanol per year at last report and was making a profit. It uses corn to produce fuel-grade ethanol, carbon dioxide and high-protein animal feed.

Last March, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty slashed ethanol subsidies by $21 million, or 15 cents a gallon, when he eliminated the $356 million short-term budget deficit by using his right to unallot funding.