CORNWALL — There will be no ethanol plant in Cornwall and alternative plans for the farmer-owned co-operative offer few signs of hope, says Seaway Grain Processors president Alain Leduc.

After 14 years of trying to build an about $65 million corn-fed ethanol plant in eastern Ontario, it appears that the plug is about to be pulled. "We need the industry in eastern Ontario even if we have to buy the raw product," Leduc said. "The project is excellent. It’s do-able. It’s unfortunate we lost our site and lost our permits. We’re running thin on money. We’ve got less than $1.5 million left. I’ve exhausted myself."

The Seaway project was closing in on a deal to secure final funding when the city of Cornwall decided in January to buy back the land where Seaway was to build. City councillors argued that they were concerned with odour, an issue that had been dealt with more than one year ago. Getting new environmental permits for a new site, which would have to be found, would take another year and there is still no guarantee a plant would be built, Leduc said. " Our community never rebutted once to say (Cornwall is) giving up jobs. That just blows me away."

Potential investors "are coming to the table with options," Leduc added. " We’re still looking at alternatives but as the days go by, it gets tougher to keep this alive."

The Seaway project has about 2,800 investors, many of them farmers.