>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: "girl_mark_fire <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>" ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 01:23:15 -0000 >Subject: [Biodiesel] Re: Obstacles facing small producers and co-ops in the US > >my friend of the small producer business just got a WVO haulers' >licence. I wonder what those license fees paid for in county >government, and what that changed about the fact that he was already >hauling some WVO every time he wanted to make biodiesel out of >restaurant grease. > > >anyway I think it's obvious my point is that it's harder to do this >legally than people think when they're starting out down the coop or >small producer road. We just had a guy from the county household >hazardous materials dept join our coop (as a private diesel driver, >not a spy or anything) and he reiterated what a few of us were >already saying: you can make biodiesel at home or in a very small co- >op 'under the radar' and no one will complain, but once you try to >get any bigger than a few people making a few gallons for their own >needs you will draw massive regulatory attention that is out of the >financial reach of small scale coops and individuals. > >I'm writing all this cause we';ve had a coop for a year now, and >there are a lot of others trying to start one (unfortunately based on >our model sometimes). In talking to people with these projects I'm >finding that a lot of people are getting into this biodiesel stuff >without ever having done anything 'on the sly' before and they all >want to play by the rules, get insurance and pay road taxes (remember >that in the US no one is collecting taxes on homebrew >biodiesel!!!!!!!!!), and they assume that the system is set up such >that we can just barge in there with our decentralized energy >production and our unprofessional chemicals handling, and the system >will move over and make room for us- that since we're doing something >green that they feel so idealistic about, the powers that be will >make exceptions for us and let us handle our flammables and whatnot >with no major obstacles just because the Tickell book said it's safe >and OK. Many of these organizer/ would-be small producer people I've >met have also never run a work shop of any sort, never worked in blue >collar toxic situations, and are simply not as familiar with just how >many regulations there are about safety, environmental 'impact', and >all that other (usually well-intentioned and neccessary )regulatory >stuff we're discussing here. Blue-collar workers tend to be much more >aware of these things and don't try to tell the world that they're >running a shadetree unlicensed auto repair business in their >backyard, for instance. But people straight out of university who are >in love with the revolutionary attraction of biofuels and renewable >energy are often just setting themselves (and others) up for a major >fall assuming that the system is set up such that it is easy for us >to come in on the scene and do this co-op or small producer >stuff 'aboveboard'. The problems come when, as someone in our coop >pointed out, you are simultaneously trying to make biodiesel on the >sly without your insurance or whatever and saying 'don't look, we're >making biodiesel' and at the same time wanting to jump up and down >and shout to the whole county "HEY LOOK EVERYBODY!!! BIODIESEL!!!!!!" > >anyway I'm not saying that people should break the law to do this, >and I am definitely not saying that laws designed to protect the >health and safety of workers and of the neighborhood residents and of >the environment are excessive, I'm just trying to point out that it's >all a lot harder in our region than people might think. Since we all >know that backyarders can make biodiesel without any major obstacles >and without attracting unwanted attention, it seems that in the case >of co-ops some kind of a compromise is a good idea- in our case, I'm >suggesting that we split up into 'cells' since our current site is >tiny and doesn't produce enough fuel for everyone's needs, and >finding a new large site that is zoned properly and affordable is >proving impossible. In our scenario we'd train groups of 5 and help >get their equipment together, then send them off into people's back >yards and driveways and garages to make fuel, where they can meet >their fuel needs with small scale equipment without attracting much >attention like they would with a large faculity in a public place >(the coop is pretty public by it's nature as a large organization). >The more visible coop itself can serve as a clearinghouse of info, a >training ground, and a way to incubate these 'cells' without trying >to become a business (obstacles) or get regulated out of existence >for making fuel on a large and messy scale... > just some ideas, we haven't implemented this structure yet, tho' we >most likely will. > >mark > > > >--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "tomshay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>" ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'd like to see more discussions about this. The legal and > > bureaucratic obstacles boggle my mind. There are hazardous material > > handling issues, waste disposal issues, air and water pollution > > issues, worker safety issues, insurance issues, spill prevention >and > > containment and clean up issues, tax issues, zoning issues, >business > > license issues, EPA approval issues, etc., etc. > > > > Call me a pessimist. I don't think small producers and coops can > > cope with the many state, local and Federal agencies and their >rules > > and regulations.
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