Platinum Crush is gearing up for another soybean harvest — and Buena Vista County supervisors are already watching the roads.
Truck traffic at the soybean crushing plant east of Alta was discussed during Tuesday morning’s Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors meeting, with Supervisor Kathy Croker questioning whether changes at the plant will be enough to prevent trucks from backing up onto county roads.
Croker said she wants the county to watch closely this fall to see whether the plant’s new third dump pit actually makes a difference.
Supervisor Kelly Snyder said the plant is also changing its truck entry pattern, expanding from two lanes to four. He suggested northbound trucks use the northern lanes and southbound trucks use the southern lanes to help keep traffic moving efficiently.
Board Chair Paul Merten said the changes could help move more trucks through the facility — but Croker said the county may eventually need to consider a more formal plan for staging trucks before they reach county roads.
The discussion comes as Platinum Crush prepares for another soybean harvest and seeks permission from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to increase its daily truck limit.
The plant’s current air permit limits truck traffic to 700 trucks per day, while Platinum Crush has sought permission for up to 1,400. County supervisors discussed the potential for increased traffic earlier this month as they approved an asphalt patch on 80th Avenue designed to withstand heavy truck traffic.
Platinum Crush has also been making changes inside the facility to increase unloading capacity. County Engineer Bret Wilkinson previously told supervisors the addition of a third dump pit should help move trucks through the plant more efficiently.
Snyder said another potential change could help as well: having someone direct trucks into the appropriate lanes to reduce conflicts between northbound and southbound traffic.
Merten also noted that farmers have more incentive this year to dump in their own bins or spread out deliveries when possible, rather than sending all their trucks to Platinum Crush at once.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is also planning improvements along Iowa Highway 7 between the 70th and 80th Avenue intersections near Alta. The DOT’s project materials identify accommodating truck traffic at both intersections as one of the project’s challenges. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2027.
For now, supervisors are waiting to see how the changes at Platinum Crush perform once harvest traffic increases — and whether those changes can keep trucks moving without creating another backup on county roads.
