Moses Lake Okays Xyleco Plant to Resume Operations

City of Moses Lake recently okayed the Xyleco plant, a biomass producer, to resume the facility after the company tweaked the business approach that formerly caused the city to pause the production. Production was previously paused as concern that hazards were connected to the materials at the plant.

"They were not forthcoming with what exactly they were going to do out there and the quantities of material they were going to be bringing in and producing the product from those materials," said Kevin Myre, building official with city of Moses Lake. "This is how we classify a building. Certain amounts of material will make a building either less or more hazardous depending on the materials used."

Originally the company was striving to produce sugar substitute product and an ethanol product, according to Myre. Ethanol was the root of worry due to the possibility of hazardous factors stemming from the process.

"Ethanol was what we were most concerned about because of its volatility and and its more of a hazardous production material," said Myre.

The plant has since revisited the issue and reached out to a Moses Lake engineering firm to revise its business plan.

"The ethanol is not going to happen at this time," said Myre. "Which makes their process less hazardous to us."

If the company decides to later produce ethanol, it will have to circle back with the city for that prong of the business. As for now, the hazard concern is no longer wedged between Xyleco operating and the plant is able to resume production.