This ethanol distillery, intended to sell to the motor-fuel trade, is planned for Chesapeake, Virginia. It is one of dozens going up across the country, but there are relatively few planned for the East Coast. As with other ethanol-plant projects, the Chesapeake neighbors aren't too thrilled, reports the Virginian-Pilot.

Fourteen months ago, Chesapeake began weighing plans to build one of the nation’s largest ethanol refineries near the banks of the Elizabeth River.

But people living closest to the area heard about it a little more than a month ago. Now, with six weeks before a Chesapeake Planning Commission vote to grant the plant a use permit, the site’s neighbors – and some officials – are complaining that there isn’t enough time to learn about the potential impact of the refinery .

I have written about corn ethanol, which is shaping up to be one of history's legendary government boondoggles, here.