Martin & Len, Fuel and fuel additives are technically to be registered with US EPA. Manufacturers of biodiesel being sold either for road, off-road or marine use must also be registered with the IRS. Off-road fuels must meet their dye requirements.
On road biodiesel must meet ASTM D-6751 and fall under some form of health effects testing umbrella. The easiest "out" relative to access to Health Effects data is to become a member of the NBB at $5,000 a pop. As the demand for off-road and marine diesel is so large, there really is no reason to extend into on-road use until you've gotten accustomed to the regs that govern biodiesel manufacture, developed a clientele and have an express need and ability to expand. You'll run into local fire codes and your state's EPA regs relative to methanol and fuel storage. These will probably include remote storage and dike containment. Some states require an approved "rack" for loading bulk fuel. If you're disposing of the biodiesel as fast as you make it and are working in proximity of 1,000 gallons a day or less, it's doubtful that a rack would be required. Other factors with OSHA and EPA would be spill containment and recovery in the manufacturing area, vapor tight systems and recovery of the methanol (a VOC and toxin) and a hazard free work area. There are some minor variances with OSHA, depending upon the number of "employees." Generally, a sole proprietorship can get away with many conditions that would not be tolerated in other businesses. Either way, simple things like a heavy grating over the WVO settling tank aren't a bad idea, just to keep the mice from drowning. It's a really nasty death. Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: Len Walde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 8:21 PM Subject: [biofuels-biz] Re: Legal Obstacles for Biodiesel -- suggestions from Len > Hi: > > "Hold the Phone"! Note I am not a lawyer (and you will need one if you keep > on the road you are traveling) So take these words considering the source. > If you use the fuel "on-farm" only, there are no tax consequences. If you > use it on the road there are taxes to be paid. The purpose of these taxes > are for Federal Highway construction and road maintenance etc.-- we all pay > a Fed. Excise Tax for this purpose and it is included in the price of > gasoline. I suggest you contact the Fed. Alcohol and Firearms people ( not > exactly the correct name) for the rules and permitting etc.) Failure to do > so is a serious violation of the law. Now, contact the State Excise Tax > people and ask for the rules and regulations. I suggest you do not tell them > more than they need to know in order for them to send the regulations. Just > explain what you would "like to do" without telling exactly -- see what I > mean? A "feasibility study" is a good way to explain it -- no one can fault > you for a study. OSHA should not be too much of a problem if the processing > system is well designed and safe, the state may have some rules to follow. > > Point: do it all "by the book" and you will not get into trouble. Taxes are > an added product cost to the user -- we can not escape that except by > cheating -- and that is never a good idea -- read the news. > > If your business plan is well done and your raw material and process is cost > efficient, you will be successful. If these factors are not soundly based > you do not want to do it anyway. > > I hope this helps. > > Good Luck. > > Len Walde, P.E. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Martin Stenflo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2002 3:04 PM > Subject: [biofuels-biz] Legal Obstacles for Biodiesel > > > > Greetings, > > My name is Martin Stenflo, I am part of a newly formed Biodiesel > > Cooperative in Boulder, CO. Check us out at > http://www.boulderbiodiesel.com > > > > We are setting up small processors on private land and distributing it > among > > members of our co-op, and charging a per-gallon user fee. Is this legal? > No > > fuel taxes, no OSHA, not in industrial/agriculture zone, no fuel > standards. > > Am I setting myself up to be shut down? Who do I contact to get this > > information? > > > > Also, we may be able to set up a small station at our local recycling > > center, but that needs OSHA regulations etc. Does anybody have information > > on the specific regulations I need to meet? > > > > Any help is greatly appreciated. > > > > Thanks > > > > Martin Stenflo > > 303-245-0743 > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.boulderbiodiesel.com > > > > > > > > > > Biofuels at Journey to Forever > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuel at WebConX > > http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm > > List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: > > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> > Will You Find True Love? > Will You Meet the One? > Free Love Reading by phone! > http://us.click.yahoo.com/O3jeVD/R_ZEAA/Ey.GAA/9bTolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------- ------~-> > > Biofuels at Journey to Forever > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > Biofuel at WebConX > http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm > List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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