An eastern Iowa business has found a novel way to cut its heating bills. The National By-products rendering plant in Clinton, which handles mostly pork and beef, has converted its boilers to burn animal fat instead of natural gas. Plant manager Ewing Miller says it should cut about a third off monthly utility bills, which last month ran 90-thousand dollars. Miller says converting the boiler was a modest expense in comparison. Among the other benefits, the animal grease is lower in sulfur and puts out less pollution than natural gas, and burns with virtually no smell. Miller says the company should save a good chunk of change by making the switch. The company’s Des Moines factory has also converted to burning animal fat instead of natural gas. A state D-N-R official says other plants in Iowa have converted to burning corn and soybean oils.
