NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             

Contacts: Jenna Higgins/National Biodiesel Board

1-800-841-5849

Hart Moore/Griffin Industries

(859) 572-2589

Carlos Gonzalez/Clean Cities

(954) 985-4416

 

April 30, 2004

 

Boats and Buses Use Cleaner Burning Biodiesel in Ft. Lauderdale

Renewable fuel use in Florida highlighted as part of National Clean Cities Conference

 

Ft. LAUDERDALE, Fla.. – Tourists and residents in Ft. Lauderdale can breathe a little easier as shuttle buses and water taxis fuel up with biodiesel, a cleaner burning fuel made from fat or vegetable oil such as soybean oil or recycled cooking oil. A thousand gallons of the fuel has been donated to the area to transport attendees of the Department of Energy’s 10^th National Clean Cities Conference & Expo, taking place at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center May 2-5.

 

Biodiesel works in any diesel engine with few or no modifications. It reduces emissions but performs comparably to diesel, with similar BTU content and higher cetane. Although it contains no petroleum, biodiesel can be blended with diesel at any level, the most common level being 20 percent (B20).

 

"This conference will provide an opportunity to South Floridians to view and learn about an array of renewable fuel technologies such as biodiesel, which is becoming the most popular renewable fuel blend to power transit buses and water buses to reduce air and water pollution using existing diesel vehicles,” said Carlos Andres Gonzalez, Florida Gold Coast Clean Cities Coordinator. “As a national and international tourist destination, it is important that our bright, sunny skies, sparkling blue ocean waters and its kaleidoscope of marine life remain free of harmful pollutants. Biodiesel can greatly reduce transportation born pollutants to ensure that the South Florida region remains the world's tourist destination of choice.”

 

Griffin Industries, a Cold Spring, Kentucky biodiesel producer, is donating 1000 gallons of biodiesel for the conference, but biodiesel is not new to the area. Water Taxi, Inc., which will provide transportation for conference attendees, has already been using biodiesel in its diesel generators and diesel powered boats to ferry passengers around the Ft. Lauderdale area since 2001.

 

The City of Coconut Creek, a long time supporter and user of biodiesel, is donating the use of its biodiesel-powered buses to transport conference attendees. The city uses biodiesel in all of its diesel vehicles, including dump trucks, tractors, sewage trucks and ambulances.

 

“We’re trying to get away from petroleum as a city, and biodiesel was a way to do that without making major changes to our vehicles or infrastructure,” said Rich Cascio, the city’s property maintenance manager. “The fuel has performed very well. There’s really no noticeable difference in power or fuel economy. You don’t have the fumes, the odor, the black smoke. It has excellent lubricity. You’re cleaning your engines and lowering maintenance costs.”

More than 400 major fleets nationwide currently use the fuel on a regular basis. Florida users include Florida Power & Light, the state Department of Transportation, Tampa Electric Company, Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. Griffin has supplied biodiesel to the Florida market since 1999 through the company’s distributor network.

 

Biodiesel is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a fuel and fuel additive. It is the only renewable fuel to have fully completed the rigorous Health Effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. Results show biodiesel reduces carcinogenic air toxics by 75-90% compared to diesel. Pure biodiesel (B100) is also non-toxic, biodegradable and essentially free of sulfur. Emissions it reduces include particulate matter, unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and sulfates. B100 (pure biodiesel) also reduces life cycle carbon dioxide by 78% compared to petroleum diesel according to a joint U.S. Department of Agriculture/Department of Energy study.

 

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Readers can learn more about biodiesel by visiting the NBB Web site at www.biodiesel.org.. To learn more about Griffin, visit www.griffinind.com. To learn more about the National Clean Cities Conference, visit http://www.ccities.doe.gov/conference.shtml. This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2003-45300-01811. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.