Biobased industry

WASHINGTON - Senior members of both parties, Clinton administration officials and representatives of biotech and chemical companies last week rallied around legislation that seeks to smooth the path from a petroleum-based to a biomass-based economy.

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the administration "strongly supports S.935, the National Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Act of 1999." He added: "The development and expansion of a renewable fuel and biobased products industry founded on a strong agricultural and forestry sector can play an increasingly important role in enhancing energy security, cleaning our environment, and promoting farm and rural economic growth."...