Commission sets March hearing for Twin State Environmental tax-incentive request for railcar-cleaning facility

County staff introduced a property-tax incentive application on Feb. 3 for Total Transcare LLC on behalf of Twin State Environmental LLC, asking the commission to set a public hearing and final action on March 3 under the Century Code.

The staff presentation said Twin State is requesting a five-year declining tax incentive to support a proposed development the packet lists as $3,600,000; Twin State would lease five acres under a 20-year land lease north of Grand Forks in the Northern Plains rail area. Staff told the commission that the project met county primary-sector certification and that initial staff review shows the project meets county policy scoring criteria for a five-year declining incentive.

Kevin Hatcher, business development manager at the Grand Forks Region EDC, said the parent company (Twin State Inc., Iowa-based) has been operating nearly 70 years and that the proposal involves a robotics-based Raptor cleaning system that eliminates human entry into tank cars and recovers residual oils for reintroduction to market.

Presenters John Walters and Scott Tinsman (representing Twin State Environmental) said the Raptor system cleans cars faster than manual methods, recovers roughly 95% of product for resale or reuse, and typically uses only about 200–300 gallons of fresh water per car. “We have a robot. It can clean a railcar in minutes,” one presenter said to describe the safety and speed benefits of automation.

On handling recovered material, company presenters said petroleum residues would be captured and shipped for energy recovery (an Indiana cement kiln was cited) and organic oils would be processed for biodiesel; they said residual waste would be managed as non-household waste and likely go to a Clean Harbors landfill in Sawyer, N.D. The presenters said they plan to hire approximately six employees at or above $26 per hour and that development costs in Grand Forks are higher than other locations (presenters estimated $5–6 million during remarks while the staff packet referenced $3.6 million for the development project).

Commissioners discussed the percentage breakdown for the five-year declining incentive, whether notifying other taxing entities is required (staff said the five-year window exempts that outreach) and whether a mechanism could allow payback of taxes at the end of the incentive period; the county state’s attorney’s office was asked to research legal possibilities on recoupment.

Commissioner 7 moved to set the required public hearing and final action for March 3 at 04:00; Commissioner 4 seconded. The motion passed unanimously.