For Immediate Release Contact: Jody E. Pollok
September 26, 2003 Phone: (517) 668-2676


Michigan Corn Producers Help to Make Lansing a Clean City

DEWITT, MICH. – Michigan corn producers may soon need to work even harder to meet the demand for their crop as Lansing received its Clean Cities designation today.

After years of hard work promoting ethanol and other alternative fuels, the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan’s (CMPM) partner, the Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities Coalition (GLACCC), was honored at a designation ceremony hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy. The event was held at the State Capitol in Lansing.

“As a farmer, it gives me a great sense of pride to see how ethanol can help make our cities cleaner,” said Bruce Noel, a member of the CMPM Board of Directors and a corn producer from Leslie. “It’s amazing to think that one bushel of corn grown in Michigan can be processed into 2.8 gallons of ethanol. We produce over 240 million bushels of corn annually so, as you can see, we can really make a dent in our dependence on foreign oil.”

Lansing is one of only three cities in Michigan to be designated as a Clean City. The designation means that the group will continue to partner with groups like CMPM to promote the use of alternative fuels, such as ethanol. In order to keep its designation, the group must also increase the usage of alternative fuels in the greater Lansing area by 17 percent each year.

During the event, vehicles were on display that operated on alternative fuel sources, such as biodiesel trucks and electric-powered vehicles. The E-85 powered Corn vehicle was on display.

“E-85 is an alternative fuel that blends 85 percent ethanol with 15 percent gasoline,” explained Jody E. Pollok, CMPM Executive Director. “Today, there are more than one million Flexible Fuel Vehicles (including mid-sized cars, minivans, trucks and SUVs) on the road, all capable of running on E-85.” For more information on E-85, its uses, and the vehicles that can burn it, visit www.E85fuel.com.

“With our ethanol plant in Caro about to celebrate its first anniversary, one of our goals in partnering with the Clean Cities Coalition is to bring more E-85 pumps to the greater Lansing area as an example for the rest of the state to follow,” Pollok added.

Headquartered in DeWitt, the CMPM is a legislatively-established statewide program that utilizes one-cent per bushel of Michigan corn sold. Investments are made in the areas of research, education, promotion and market development in an effort to enhance the economic position of Michigan corn producers. CMPM works cooperatively with the Michigan Corn Growers Association, a grassroots-membership association representing the state’s corn producer’s political interests. For more information on CMPM and MCGA visit the web site at www.micorn.org.

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