By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publi

    Imperial made news earlier this month when Central Bio-Energy an-nounced that Imperial will be one of the three sites for 100-million gallon ethanol plants being built by the Grand Island company.
     This is great news for Imperial and Chase County. Another 100-million gallon plant has also been announced for Wauneta. Assuming both of these plants are built, this region will get a much-needed economic boost.
     While it's easy to get giddy about the opportunities these plants will bring, it would be best to contain that enthusiasm until ground is broken and construction gets underway. For the Imperial plant, construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2007.
     I would agree with Gov. Dave Heineman who said the ethanol industry is one of the best rural economic development tools this state has seen in the last decade.
     In fact, it may eventually go even further, taking a place beside rural electrification and irrigation as pivotal developments for the future of rural Nebraska.
     And while the plant will be a boon for Imperial, there are still many infrastructure challenges that must be met in a fairly short time.
     What new roads and improvements will be needed to handle the increased truck traffic of a 100-million gallon plant? What about waste water treatment? How about electrical supply? What about housing during construction and after?
     These are the challenges that such growth brings. That's not a bad thing. Civic and community leaders in Imperial have already begun assessing these needs and developing action plans to address them.
     With these new plants comes the opportunity for additional growth in the form of spin-off businesses that will likely result.
     The passage of the 1 percent city sales tax in Imperial, of which half will be devoted to economic development, looms even larger in its importance now. These funds will play a vital role in the future development of our community and region.
     I have no doubt that our community will rise to the challenge. We always have and I expect this opportunity to be no different.