>Are these people selling biodiesel legitimately, meaning, collecting >the proper taxes? Or is it under the table? Is their fuel being >tested to ASTM standards? My point is that if anybody can produce >good quality biodiesel, what's stopping every other person from >making it and selling it? It's one thing to make it for your own >personal use, but I thought the big oil companies and EPA wouldn't >allow the sale of biodiesel from WVO unless it has been tested to >ASTM standards, which can be very expensive. Tom Leue from Yellow >Biodiesel had some issues with the EPA, which I'll let him comment on >if he wants to because it's not my place to talk about someone else's >operation. Tom, I hope you read this and can comment. Jonathan.
Hello Jonathan It's more complicated than that. Not just biodiesel from WVO, for one thing. And there's an essential history to it, a tale of shifting goalposts. Some reading to do, if you want to get a handle on it. I guess these are in a sort of logical order. http://archive.nnytech.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/27488/ NBB and small producers http://archive.nnytech.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/30371/ RE: Commercial production http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/30389/ Re: bad news about EPA registration http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuels-biz/4121/ EPA "guidelines" http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/30451/ I called the EPA today- Jim Caldwell's explanation Under the subject heading it says "Click here for more on this subject", if you do that you get the same message but with a table at the top of all the other messages in that thread, so you can get it all that way. Enjoy... so to speak. Best Keith > >--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, girl mark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > >County's first biodiesel station cooks up alternative to gasoline > > > > > >Berkeley venture offers vegetable oil recycled as environmentally >friendly > > >fuel > > > > > >By Kristin Bender, STAFF WRITER > > > > > >BERKELEY -- BioFuel Oasis, the first biodiesel station in Alameda >County, > > >doesn't have a pump or those handy packaged wet wipes for your >hands like > > >a typical filling station. > > > > > >There's no squeegee to wash your windshield. > > > > > >And no place to buy coffee. > > > > > >What BioFuel Oasis of Berkeley sells is biodiesel and nothing but > > >biodiesel -- recycled vegetable oil from restaurants and potato >chip > > >factories that's making a second appearance as an alternative fuel. > > > > > >Available in only 10 retail spots in the state, biodiesel powers >any car > > >or truck that will run on diesel, including any Mercedes Benz, old > > >Volkswagens and new Volkswagen TDIs and trucks, said BioFuel Oasis > > >founders Jennifer Radtke, 33, of Oakland and SaraHope Smith, 37, >of Berkeley. > > > > > >At $2.90 a gallon, the fuel still isn't cheaper than gas. But it's >far > > >better for the environment, producing 50 percent fewer emissions >than > > >standard diesel, studies show. > > > > > >"It's a little more expensive, but it runs clean and I find that >it > > >performs in the engine. I have a little more torque," said >biodiesel user > > >Michael Caldwell, who sells cars and drives a 2002 Volkswagen Golf >Turbo > > >Diesel GL. Caldwell averages about 40 miles to the gallon with >biodiesel, > > >far better than what a similar car with a gas engine gets, he said. > > > > > >In January 2003, Berkeley became the first city in the nation to >convert > > >to biodiesel for 200 municipal cars used by firefighters, police, >Health > > >and Human Services workers and Public Works crews. > > > > > >Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the >city the > > >"environmental award for outstanding achievement" in efforts to >protect > > >the environment. > > > > > >Biodiesel is generally made from domestically produced vegetable >oil, > > >often soy oil. > > > > > >Some biodiesel users claim the fuel gives off an aroma like French >fries > > >or donuts. Radtke said it smells "like an oil fryer." > > > > > >Studies show that burning biodiesel significantly reduces the >impacts on > > >global warming, smog and asthma. The cleaner-burning fuel produces >80 > > >percent less greenhouse gasses than gasoline. > > > > > >"It's simple: You can touch it, it's non-flammable, it's really >safe. It's > > >this totally amazing thing to use as fuel," Radtke said. "It's >totally > > >unlike anything you think of as fuel." > > > > > >But even in the green and clean Bay Area, biodiesel isn't widely >available. > > > > > >According to Radtke and Smith, both members of the Berkeley >Biodiesel > > >Collective, and a check of > > ><https://shannon.permutation.net/cgi-bin/nph- >proxy.cgi/010110A/http/www.biodiesel->www.biodiesel- > > > > > > > > >.org, the site of the National Biodiesel Board, there are fewer >than a > > >dozen retail fueling sites in California. Golden Gate Petroleum in > > >Martinez and West- > > > > > >ern States Oil in San Jose both provide biodiesel to the public. > > > > > >"We want to make biodiesel a legitimate alternative for whomever -- > for > > >soccer moms, for business people, for anyone whose values are >aligned with > > >ours, and who thinks it's the right thing to do," Smith said. > > > > > >"One of the factors (for supporting biodiesel) was we are going to >war for > > >oil. That does not compute in my sense of logic," added Smith, who >runs an > > >after-school program and does landscape gardening when she's not >working > > >at BioFuel Oasis. > > > > > >Both women drive cars that run on biodiesel. Although the partners >said > > >they are only "covering their rent" with the money they're making, > > >greenbacks can be had in sustainable fuel, said Pat O'Keefe, vice > > >president of Golden Gate Petroleum, a fuel distributor. > > > > > >"Compared to regular petroleum, it's a very small demand," O'Keefe >said. > > >"But our volume seems to be doubling every year. But it still has >a long > > >way to go. It's a small portion of our business." > > > > > >O'Keefe said there is enough demand for his company to open a >second > > >retail outlet in Richmond this summer. > > > > > >Radtke and Smith hope to install a pump this summer and generate >more > > >business. For now, they sell the biodiesel in 5-gallon >plastic "carboys." > > >The women are currently working to secure city permits and raise a >few > > >thousand dollars to upgrade the business. > > > > > >To that end, they have designed a "founding members program" to >fill the > > >piggy bank. > > > > > >"Our founding members program is our answer to non-venture >capitalism," > > >Smith said. A donation buys a spot in the "founding members >program," the > > >chance to autograph a future pump, a founding members membership >card and > > >a keepsake bottle of boutique biodiesel, possibly in a rosemary or > > >cilantro flavor. > > > > > >"Biodiesel and Sustainability" panel discussion 7 to 9 p.m. today >at > > >BioFuel Oasis, 2465 Fourth St. A $5 to $15 donation is requested. >For more > > >information on BioFuel Oasis or its hours, call 665-5509. > > > > > >Kristin Bender covers Berkeley. E-mail her at > > ><https://shannon.permutation.net/cgi-bin/nph- >proxy.cgi/010110A/mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! 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