Golden Triangle Energy in Craig, Missouri is shutting down ethanol production in advance of rising floodwaters in Holt County.

Chairman Gene Millard tells us they were already facing a delivery backlog from two weeks ago, when the railroad shut down traffic between Kansas City and Omaha.  Now they’re working as fast as they can to get the product out of the area by truck.

They’re taking it to a rail shipping facility in the Kansas City area for delivery to customers across the country.  But time is running out, and Millard says they are up against the wall.

“It’s just a matter of how much time window do we have to get our remaining inventory trans-located to the rail shipout,” Millard said.  “That is projected to take at least five days in order to get 50, 60, 70 trailer loads from Craig down to Kansas City to get it off loaded onto the rail.”

Floodwaters are expected to inundate Craig by Thursday.  Evacuations were ordered beginning at noon Tuesday.

Millard says they are hopeful they can empty most of the product in their fermentation tanks before they lose electrical power.  He says the company must leave some product in those tanks so they don’t float away.

Millard says the plant was built at an elevation that would have survived the 1993 flood, but he says they are “right on the bubble.”

“If we lose access by road, then the whole party’s over.”

Millard says a few members of the staff live on the west side of the Missouri River.  Those people have been staying in travel trailers parked in nearby Mound City.  He says they have also rented a home in Mound City to house other staff members.

“We might have to use that house for office functions down the road,” Millard said.