By Don Haney

CASSELTON, N.D. (KFGO) – The Casselton area could soon see a $400 million soy-crushing plant that would create 60 new jobs with average wages of $32 per hour.

The plan is far from finalized but Josh Teigen, Director of the North Dakota Department of Commerce Economic Development & Finance Division, says the site is a mile west of Casselton, just east of the Tharaldson Ethanol Plant.

Teigen and others won’t yet name the company involved other than to say it is a large, multi-national corporation that is a joint venture between two agricultural-related groups.

The project could be contingent on infrastructure. State resources may help pay for a hard surface, a four-mile-long road to the site to handle 200 to 250 trucks a day and more than 600 trucks daily during harvest season. The existing township road is now gravel.

Still up in the air is a water and wastewater source.

The facility will require 900,000 gallons of freshwater daily. Based on the current plant layout, noise and odor do not appear to be an issue. The closest residence is 2500 feet from the proposed plant.