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Rockingham, Vt., Considers Using Biodiesel to Fuel City Vehicles

Posted on: Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 00:00 CST

By Chris Fleisher, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Dec. 21--ROCKINGHAM -- The town is considering using Biodiesel to fuel its fleet of highway and municipal vehicles.

The switch from regular diesel fuel would likely add a few thousand dollars to Rockingham's annual fuel budget, but a Keene, N.H. official told select board members on Tuesday the health and environmental benefits were worth the cost.

"Even if it costs you more, (improved public health) is the reason why you should do it," Stephen Russell of the Keene Public Works Department said during a slide show presentation to the board.

Biodiesel, a diesel fuel substitute made partly from natural fats and oils, has been Keene's preferred fuel choice for at least the last three years, Russell said.

It reduces air emissions and odor in the city, Russell said, and required no modifications to the city's 68 vehicles and equipment that use the fuel.

There has also been no reduction in vehicle performance, he added.

The city's drivers have also said headaches they would suffer while working indoors with diesel vehicles have disappeared since the city made the switch, Russell said.

Storage, cost and finding gas stations that would distribute the fuel are the primary issues that face local municipalities looking to make the change, Russell said. Some stations in the area are beginning to carry it, but the closest station to Rockingham is in Brattleboro.

Although cost differentials fluctuate with the price of fuel, Biodiesel is currently about 8 cents more per gallon than regular diesel fuel. Rockingham spends about $50,000 per year to fuel town vehicles, Municipal Manager Shane O'Keefe said.

Grants and tax credits can offset much, if not all, of the extra expense, Russell said.

Selectmen seemed generally enthusiastic about the idea and unanimously approved a motion to explore the possibility. The board asked O'Keefe to report back with specifics on expense, access and the practical implications of the switch.

The town highway department has more than 20 diesel vehicles, O'Keefe said.

LaGuardia airport in New York City and the state of Michigan also use Biodiesel in their diesel vehicles, according to Russell.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

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Source: Eagle Times, Claremont, New Hampshire

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