SALEM, Ore. — Marion County has rejected an application for a $15.5 million hemp drying and oil-processing facility proposed for a 37-acre farm in Turner, Oregon.
The Statesman-Journal reports that Jupiter Pharma, an Illinois company registered in Delaware, had asked the county for a conditional-use permit to build the factory on property zoned for exclusive farm use.
In a ruling signed last week, a hearings officer cited multiple problems with the application, including inadequate traffic safety plans, no identified source of water or natural gas, a lack of drainage plans, and no information about noise generation.
In the end though, the hearings officer rejected the application because Jupiter Pharma didn’t yet own the property, so technically could not request the exemption.
Michael Winter, the company’s CEO, said Jupiter Pharma already had decided not to move forward with the site.
