03/16/06 Moratorium vote; new Amalgamated CEO

The Idaho House will soon vote on a two year moratorium on coal fired power plants. A House committee sent the bill forward after listening to concerns of farmers, Jerome County residents and people like Bob Nearebout of the Idaho Dairymen's Association. NEAREBOUT "As a state let's do our due diligence. Let's protect the agricultural industries that we have, all industries that we have, let's protect the agricultural industries we have and trust their concerns." The moratorium bars permits or licenses until 2008 for projects like the 600 megawatt coal fired plant proposed by San Diego based Sempra Industries. Sempra has made it clear to Governor Kempthorne that they may pull out of the project if the moratorium is passed. There's new leadership coming at Amalgamated Sugar Company. Dave Budge will become president and CEO of the second largest sugar beet company in America. Ralph Burton is going to retire in July after more than 36 years at Amalgamated. Budge has been with Amalgamated for 32 years, currently as vice president and chief financial office. Now based in Boise Amalgamated Sugar employs 15 hundred people at its processing facilities in Nampa, Twin Falls and Paul. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott