Biomass order seen as positive for Iowa

President Clinton’s executive order supporting increased use of biomass fuelis good news to one Iowa group that’s working with the alternative fuel. JimCooper is coordinator of the Chariton Valley Resource Conservation BiomassProject which is seeking to use biomass products such as switchgrass forfuel.Cooper says the interest in biomass projects has increased tremendously injust the last year.The Chariton Valley project seeks to use those annual grasses to makeelectricity.Cooper says soil conservation and preventing runoff is another big advantageto growing the grasses for fuel.Cooper says producers are growing their grass around Lake Rathbun and thathelps prevent runoff into the lake.