Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 29, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba a4 Winnipeg free press tuesday August 29, 2006 top news ethanol coming to More Gas pumps rules to require 85% of All Gas to include it by Mia Rabson m Ost Manitoba pumps could sell ethanol blended gasoline before the Start of next summer. Manitoba Energy minister Dave Chomiak said yesterday the Long awaited provincial ethanol requirement is just awaiting completion of the expanded husky ethanol Plant in Minnedosa. With a husky spokesman yesterday confirming the Plant is on track to be completed and operational by the mid dle of 2007, that Means there should be enough ethanol produced in Manitoba to begin adding it to Gas pumps All Over the province shortly thereafter. It will come into effect As soon As the additional ethanol is produced said Chomiak. While there Are already some Gas pumps Selling ethanol blended gasoline the provincial mandate requires 85 per cent of All Gas sold in Manitoba to be blended with 10 per cent ethanol. The mandate ? first passed in Decem Ber 2003 ? was to have come into effect in August 2005. But the implementation was delayed while the province could produce enough ethanol to meet the requirement. At the time a Minnedosa ethanol Plant was producing just 10 Mil lion litres a year and a planned expansion of the Plant was killed by husky Energy for fear it would to be profitable enough. Then in 2005, the Calgary based Petro Leum company reignited Manitoba a ethanol dreams by announcing plans for a $145 million expansion that would increase ethanol production in Minnedosa to 130 million litres per year. The Plant is being built with a $10.4 million Grant from the Federal govern ment. Manitoba a ethanol mandate is right now the most aggressive of the provinces. Ontario plans to require a five per cent blend in All gasoline sold by 2007, and Saskatchewan plans a 7.5 per cent blend requirement also in 2007. Ethanol is a fuel made from distilled Grain. When blended with traditional Petroleum it can reduce tailpipe emis Sions from vehicles As much As 25 per cent depending on driving conditions and the age of a vehicle. Most vehicles on the Road today can use an ethanol blended gasoline without any alterations needed. In fact ethanol improves gasoline performance helps keep fuel tanks and Gas lines clean of contaminants and in the Winter acts As a natural Gas line Antifreeze. It can be added to regular Petroleum right at a retail outlet or earlier in the distribution system if possible. The ethanol push is not without its critics and research has shown when blended at More than 10 per cent it May be worse for the environment than conventional gasoline and that the performance of Many cars is compromised. It is also More expensive to produce than it can be sold for at the moment and governments Are heavily subsidizing its production to make it Cost effective. at least five people were killed when this greyhound bus travelling from new York City to Montreal crashed through a guard rail and landed upside Down in an embankment yesterday. At press time some were still trapped in the wreckage. At least 5 die in new York bus crash Westport . App ? several and one of its Back wheels was turned the bus was travelling North on Ca Lawson from Ottawa. She was of. Passengers were killed and More than inward. Interstate 87 at about 6 45 . When it she was shaken. She was wrapped in a a dozen others Many of them Canad Mike Hildebran a spokesman for overturned just before exit 31 near Blanket. She told me she Felt really ans were injured when a greyhound Champlain Valley physicians Hospital Elizabethtown. Lucky that she was alive Dedam said. Bus travelling from new York City to medical Center in Plattsburgh said 25 the bus was completely upside thirteen passengers including Sev Montreal crashed through a guard rail people had been treated there and Sev Down Kim Smith Dedam a local eral speaking French were treated for and landed upside Down in an eral More were in route. The patients reporter at the scene told the Canadian minor injuries at a Hospital in Eliza embankment. Were of All Ages including a few Chil press by Telephone. Bet town a Hospital administrator told state police believe up to five peo Dren and had injuries including cuts she said by 10 30 . Five bodies up. Ple Are dead said trooper Ryan Bent bruises and broken Bones. Were still trapped in the wreckage of seven people were stabilized Here Ley of the Westport Barracks. We anticipate that As Many As half the bus. And then sent to Coph medical Cen at least 20 passengers were lying on will be admitted Hildebran said. One More than a dozen ambulances were Ter in Plattsburgh. One person got a blankets and stretchers while receive of the More seriously injured was at the scene taking the injured Pas ride from Montreal and four others ing care from medical personnel. The transferred to Montreal general hos sengers to several area hospitals. Were treated and will stay in the hos Back and top of the bus was crushed Pital. I spoke with a Young woman Jessi Pital overnight said Rod Boulan. A routine traffic Stop for two Selkirk ramp officers Early yesterday turned violent when they wrestled a loaded gun from the hands of an unruly Man Moun ties said yesterday. The risk to officers was very real ramp spokesman staff sgt. Steve Saun Ders said. If it want for their Diligence the outcome could have been very Saunders also said the gun proved to be a homemade sawed off .22-calibre Rifle attached to a Cane handle. He said the alleged confrontation happened at about 12 30 a.m., when officers on patrol stopped a 2002 Chrysler intrepid near the intersection of Robinson and main Street in Selkirk because its front and Back plates were obscured by newspapers. In speaking with the Driver the offi cers Learned he did not have a Drivers licence. They also saw that a Man in the front passenger seat appeared intoxicated. A woman in the Back seat was co opera Tive with police. When the Driver had been placed in the Back of the ramp patrol car the two male officers went to Deal with the intoxicated Man. The Man was handcuffed without fur ther incident. In seizing the gun police Learned its safety was off and it was cocked ready to fire. Roland Wayne Richard 42, of Winnipeg and Dylan William Mcivor 19, of Winnipeg face charges including pos session of a prohibited weapon. Both suspects appear in a Winnipeg court today. The woman was not charged ;