Settlement results in funds for NM biofuel project.
(AP) -- SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Biofuels research in southeastern New
Mexico will benefit from a settlement reached by the New Mexico
Environment Department and Western Refining Co. over air quality
violations at two of the company's refineries.
The settlement calls for Western Refining to pay $1.95 million
to the Center for Excellence in Hazardous Material Management in
Carlsbad for work that aims to turn algae into biodiesel.
The center has successfully cultivated and harvested a
wild-strain algae to produce a feedstock that can be converted to
biofuel. It has conducted the work at its facilities and at New
Mexico State University's agricultural experiment station near
Artesia.
The first payment of $650,000 will be made on Monday. The next
payment will be March 1.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
