The recent announcement that construction for the proposed CHS nitrogen plant near Jamestown, N.D., had been delayed certainly wasn't what many in the community were hoping for. We hope the process of negotiations and planning continues, the project moves ahead and building begins.
The announcement said rising construction costs were reducing the project's financial viability. It also noted CHS was continuing to meet with North Dakota officials on the venture. Our hope is these discussions are productive and can get this project back on track.
CHS anticipates the proposed nitrogen fertilizer plant will have a $23 billion impact on the local and state economy over a 20-year period. The plant's 150 jobs -- with estimated average wages of $85,000 per year -- will help boost the Jamestown business climate, leading to more retail opportunities and an increase in employment in all sectors of the local economy.
The estimated $2 billion or more project ranks as the largest construction undertaking in North Dakota history and is certainly the biggest potential economic factor in Jamestown's future. Those factors make the risks and benefits of this project huge.
From here, the decision-making process becomes a matter of economics. CHS would be expected to make a decision based on the potential for profit from the plant.
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Officials have spent a great deal of time working to try to bring this project to fruition. It's a complicated process that simply takes time.
Editor's note: This editorial is the opinion of Jamestown (N.D.) Sun management and the newspaper's editorial board.
