Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners agree to provide letter of support for Hydrobind’s USDA SBIR grant
Summary
Steve Kemp asked the board for a letter supporting Hydrobind's $175,000 USDA SBIR Phase I application to research extracting chloride and fertilizer precursors from produced water; commissioners voted to provide a support letter with no county funding pledged.
Steve Kemp, representing Hydrobind and speaking as a Williams County commissioner for the meeting, asked Dunn County to provide a letter of support for a $175,000 USDA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant. Kemp said Hydrobind aims to research extraction of calcium chloride and magnesium chloride from produced water and to explore ammonium, potassium and boron recovery for fertilizer precursors. "Not requesting any county funds," Kemp said, and asked only for a template letter of support the county could sign.
Commissioner Heiser moved and Commissioner Pelton seconded the motion to provide a letter of support; the board approved the motion on a voice vote. Staff were directed to prepare the letter using the template provided by the applicant.
Why it matters: If successful, research into recovering locally used de‑icing materials and fertilizer precursors from produced water could reduce supply-chain distances and create local manufacturing opportunities; Kemp described the potential to substitute locally extracted calcium and magnesium chloride for material now shipped hundreds of miles.
Next steps: Hydrobind will forward a letter template to county staff; county staff will prepare and sign the letter of support. The company will pursue the USDA SBIR application independently.
