Lawmakers Try to Lure Fertilizer Plant to Tuscola

The Illinois House is set to take up a bill to offer tax breaks to a company that may build a fertilizer plant in Tuscola. 

State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is sponsoring the measure, which would allow the company to avoid some of the sales taxes associated with construction costs.

Rose said the plant would be a large economic boon for the area.

“You’re going to have about a $315 million annualized impact just in the six county economic region that includes Douglas and Champaign Counties," he said. "That does not include additional impact to the west of Macon County and that area. So, all totaled this would be a huge, huge deal for our area.”

The company overseeing the plant is mulling over whether to build it in Illinois or Iowa.

There would be about 2,000 short-term construction jobs created, and roughly 150 permanent positions once the plant is up and running in about three years.

Rose noted that the fertilizer plant wouldn’t use the same chemicals that caused last week’s deadly explosion in Texas.