NATCHEZ &8212; Legislators and other leaders from Natchez and Adams County were all smiles Friday at the ceremonial signing of a bill that includes $15 million for the Rentech project.

Andrew Ketchings of Natchez, a former state representative and now legislative liaison for Gov. Haley Barbour, said many people worked diligently to make the funding a reality.

&8220;Everybody was involved,&8221; he said, naming senators, Bob M. Dearing and Kelvin Butler as well as representatives, Robert Johnson, Chuck Middleton, Angela Cockerham and Sam Mims as an Adams County delegation that worked together to bring the bill to fruition.

Rentech Inc., a Colorado-based research and development company, proposes a coal-to-liquid plant in Natchez, a $1-billion project that would employ 200 people and produce up to $10,000 barrels of clean alternative fuel per day.

The $15 million will go toward preliminary work at the former Belwood Country Club site near the Natchez port.

Ketchings was one of those there for the bill signing in Barbour&8217;s office at the Capitol and said, &8220;It felt great. I know the governor is excited about Rentech.&8221;

Barbour was pleased at the leadership in both Houses of the Legislature as they compromised on House Bill 1634, which includes funding for other projects besides Rentech, Ketchings said.

If leaders in the Legislature had not insisted the bill be kept viable for the governor&8217;s signature, today might have been a different day.

Robert Johnson agreed. &8220;No one knew better than I did how close we came to not having a bond bill in this session,&8221; he said. &8220;It took a lot of late hours, hard work and negotiating.&8221;

When Johnson heard other legislators say that maybe the funding for Rentech would come in another session, he pushed. &8220;We had to impress on them that we had to make this happen for Rentech right now.&8221;

Johnson, who was in the state Senate for 11 years before his election to the House of Representatives, said he has high hopes for the impact Rentech will have on Natchez.

&8220;We&8217;re about to look at bigger and better opportunities in Natchez, more jobs and more industries,&8221; he said. &8220;Rentech is such a cutting-edge industry in America. And they have fallen in love with Natchez,&8221; Johnson said. &8220;I think their presence in Natchez will make other industries take notice.&8221;

Dearing also attended the signing. He said the county and state have done their part. Now it&8217;s up to the company.

&8220;I&8217;m just terribly excited,&8221; he said. &8220;Rentech has got a good reputation, and from what I understand, their financials are in good shape.&8221;

The bill gives the company until July 1, 2007, to meet Mississippi Development Authority financial requests. If that happens, site development can begin.