Exol will appeal a decision by the Freeborn County Board to charge them for use of agricultural ditches near their ethanol plant in Glenville.

&uot;After all the county has done financially for Exol, I don’t understand this,&uot; said County Attorney Craig Nelson.

Several months ago, Exol began discussing with the county whether it could drain cooling water into the county’s ditch system. It has been using the city of Albert Lea sewage system and paying nine cents per hundred gallons. The ethanol cooperative has asked to use the county’s system because the water is clean and doesn’t need to be processed, like it is in the city system.

The county wants to charge Exol two cents per 100 gallons, a charge not assessed to farmers, and something that could cost the company around $5,000 a year. Exol did not appeal a benefit and outlet fee, which is assessed to farmers.

Nelson said the county could have just said no to Exol in the first place.

Rick Mummert, general manager of Exol, said the issue wasn’t the money.

&uot;It’s setting a precedent for Albert Lea. We want to make sure things are correct,&uot; he said. &uot;We want to make sure we are correct and that they are correct so that it doesn’t improperly impact the business.&uot;

He said the appeal isn’t a criticism of the county board or the ditch viewers who recommended the fee, and acknowledged that the county has helped the business.

&uot;It’s not a bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you thing,&uot; he said.

Commissioner Glen Mathiason said after the meeting that he would understand the appeal if the county hadn’t agreed to review the process in two years to examine the effect of the industial water on the ditch system, and to reevaluate whether the discharge fee is fair.

Nelson said the fact that other industries use industrial ditches without paying a volume fee doesn’t mean the county can’t assess a fee. &uot;It doesn’t matter, because there’s been no court that has said it’s not okay.&uot;

Nelson said the appeal could cost the county some money but it will settle the matter.

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com or 379-3438.)