Man Tanks Up On Ethanol: Employer Not Amused

Well, it had to happen.

It was reported in yesterday's Register that a fellow who worked for Amaizing Energy, an ethanol producer in Denison, was fired from his job for personally road testing the product with his liver.

Cory Neddermeyer, a recovering alcoholic, showed up for work back in April at the Amaizing Energy plant and saw that there had been a spill of fuel grade ethanol at the plant and several hundred gallons of the stuff were in a holding pond. After some thought Neddermeyer proceeded to sample some of the fuel grade ethanol, a/k/a Everclear. It worked so well that Neddermeyer was found in an incapacitated state and was rushed to a local hospital, where his blood alcohol level was an astounding 0.72.

He was, of course fired, and appealed the denial of his unemployment benefits, arguing that the employer was discriminating against him because he is an alcoholic. Needless to say, his appeal was denied.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060709/NEWS10/607090341/-1/archive