Opinion ID: 1612232
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 21

Heading: Dr. Raphael Katzen

Text: Dr. Raphael Katzen, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, is a consulting engineer in the chemical industry. He has been involved in the design of approximately 20 grain-based ethanol plants, two of which were wet mill plants. Based upon his visit to the Sutherland plant on January 4 and 5, 1994, Katzen testified that the workmanship at the plant was in accord with industry standards. In his opinion, the plant was 90 to 95 percent complete in January 1994, and he questioned why the expenditure necessary to complete the plant was not made. Katzen specifically disagreed with a report written by Roles' expert, Boyd Ruppelt of PSI, Process Systems, Inc., which recommended various changes to the plant in order to make it operational. It was Katzen's general opinion that the plant would operate as designed and built. On cross-examination, Katzen testified that he observed Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance at the plant and assumed compliance with fire and building codes. He also stated that although the plant was designed to use a torula yeast reactor, he had never seen this device used as part of the wastewater treatment at a corn wet mill plant, although he opined that it would work as designed. Katzen further testified on cross-examination that it would cost between $1.7 and $2 million to convert the plant to a conventional steep wet mill, if necessary. He admitted it was possible the plant would not work in a commercially efficient manner. He acknowledged stating in his pretrial deposition that he would not recommend a short steep process without a more comprehensive pilot system.