International Falls area gets money to study trash-to-fuel plant

It's called plasma gasification, but that seems to be a fancy name for a plant that will turn garbage into fuel. And Koochiching County -- way up north by International Falls -- is getting $1 million to see if it works.

The money is part of the omnibus appropriations bill, says the International Falls Daily Journal. Sen. Amy Klobuchar gets credit for steering the money to the Falls.

The goal: "convert municipal solid wastes into energy and other marketable by-products in an environmentally sound manner." The money will be used to "conduct a feasibility study to assess technical, economic and environmental matters."

The feasibility study for the proposed project is about halfway complete, according to County Commissioner Mike Hanson.