The Burke County Planning and Zoning Board has approved a zoning change for an oil refinery south of Columbus. A conditional use permit is pending.

The zoning change was requested by Ash Inc., which will process 20,000 barrels of oil daily at a refinery it is aiming to build where the Truax Trayer coal mine once operated.

One-third of the refinery’s output would be diesel fuel, one-third would be naptha and one-third would be products such as butane and propane.

As many as 350 workers would be on location during the 16- to 24-month construction process.

Once complete, the refinery would employ 80 people with an annual payroll of about $4.8 million.

-- Burke County Tribune, Bowbells