URBANDALE, Iowa - The Iowa Biodiesel Board and the Iowa Soybean Association congratulates East Fork Biodiesel LLC and its marketing partner Renewable Energy Group on the upcoming opening of the new plant near Algona, Iowa.

Plant officials and community leaders will be on hand Nov. 30, 2007, to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new biodiesel plant. The historic event celebrates the upcoming opening of Iowa’s largest biodiesel production plant.

“We are excited that East Fork Biodiesel LLC will soon be in operation. This is another big step toward Iowa’s renewable energy future. Producing a cleaner-burning fuel at an Iowa plant that will soon employ 36 people in full-time jobs in Kossuth County is a great achievement,” says Randy Olson, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board.

East Fork Biodiesel LLC has the capacity to produce 60 million gallons of biodiesel each year, making it the largest biodiesel facility in Iowa and the Midwest. Construction of the plant created more than 100 jobs, bringing economic development to Algona, Kossuth County and the region.

The Iowa Soybean Association farmer leadership has supported the biodiesel industry since the mid-1990s, says Curt Sindergard. He is ISA president and farms near Rolfe, Iowa.

“Iowa soybean farmers are pleased to see how far this industry has progressed since they began funding research and promotion of biodiesel. Since 1992, more than $50 million checkoff dollars have been invested,” says Sindergard.

The Iowa Soybean Association develops policies and programs that help farmers expand profit opportunities while promoting environmentally sensitive production using the soybean checkoff and other resources. The Association is governed by an elected volunteer board of 21 farmers.

The Iowa Biodiesel Board represents the biodiesel industry in Iowa, from production through distribution to end-users. The IBB promotes the commercial success of biodiesel in Iowa.

For information, visit the Web sites, www.iasoybeans.com and www.iowabiodiesel.org.