Aug 31, 4:20 PM EDT
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Instead of throwing tree limbs and other vegetation into landfills following hurricanes, Floridians may be able to turn the debris into ethanol, state Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson said Thursday.
Broson's agency brought up the issue at the state's first Farm to Fuel Summit, a two day event that ends Friday. Agriculture leaders and researchers are discussing how the industry can help with the development of alternative fuels.
State leaders will take ideas from the conference and work with researchers from the University of Florida and elsewhere to build a plant designed to turn biomass into fuel, Bronson said.
"We are convinced we are the largest biomass producing state in the country. Because of our weather conditions, our rain, we can double and triple our crop in a year," he said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_HURRICANE_FUEL_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULTWhen we got hit twice in 2004, we ended up with a yard trash pile that was 30' long by 8' deep and about 5' high. That was from one piece of property. Nice to see something useful might come out of all that debris.