Biodiesel Co-op Benefits for AZ Municipalities

1
Biodiesel Co-op Benefits for AZ Municipalities

• Desert Biofuels Initiative
• sam_at_desertbiofuels.org
• November 4, 2008

2
Policy Areas

• Environment
• a way to take action now to reduce vehicle
  emissions
• Safety
• provide an educational resource for production of
  biodiesel and a safe working environment
• Sanitary Sewer Overflows
• reduce sanitary sewer overflows sourced to
  improper oil and grease disposal

3
Environmental Benefits

• Encourage Regional Biofuels Through a Coop
• Waste Vegetable Oil is often removed from the
  valley area. Municipalities will receive
  environmental benefits if biodiesel replaces
  petroleum diesel.
• Air Quality Benefits
• Biodiesel production using available Waste
  Vegetable Oil in the valley may result in 100,000
  tons per year CO2 offsets.
• Source http//desertbiofuels.org
• Biodiesel also has reduced particulate matter
  emissions.

4
Safety

• Model for safe biodiesel production
• Biodiesel production is legal and relatively
  safe when properly performed.
• Source Department of Homeland Security,
  Emergency Management and Response Information
  Sharing and Analysis Center, INFOGRAM 34-08, Sep.
  4, 2008
• The coop serves as an educational tool for the
  public to learn safe procedures for production of
  biodiesel.
• Encourages participation with the coop
• Alternative to homebrewing, especially as
  homebrewing increases due to fuel costs.

5
Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Sewer Blockages

• Sanitary Sewer Overflows are often caused by
  improper disposal of oil and grease in sewer
  systems.
• Phoenix specifics
• Phoenix attributed 68 of the 88 sewer overflows
  in 2006 to grease and oil.
• In addition, in 2006 there were 80 blockages
  attributed to grease and oil, with the majority
  from residential and apartment buildings.
• Source Ken Karnes, City of Phoenix
• A coop may provide an alternative venue for
  disposal of oil and grease

6
Successful Biodiesel Programs

• Daphne, Alabama Biodiesel Project
• The municipality of Daphne set up grease
  collection sites for recycling waste fats. This
  resulted in 40 fewer sanitary sewer overflows
  from oil and grease. The resulting grease is
  used to produce biodiesel for municipal vehicles.
• Source http//www.daphneutilities.com/daphne/recy
  cle_grease.htm http//tech.groups.yahoo.com/group
  /tucsonbbc/message/144
• El Paso, TX and San Francisco, CA have adopted
  similar programs

7
Successful Biodiesel Programs

• Nogales, Sonora Biodiesel Project
• Oil and grease contribute to clogs that result in
  sanitary system overflows and at times cause
  discharge of untreated wastewater into the
  Nogales Binational Wash.
• There is a binational effort through the EPA
  Border 2012 program to address this problem. The
  project may have multi-media benefits to include
  improvements in air quality.
• The project has two small scale production
  facilities that will use the biodiesel for
  emergency response vehicles on both sides of the
  border.
• Source Hans Huth, ADEQ draft report

8
Conclusion

• A biodiesel co-op presents municipalities with a
  chance to make a relatively immediate impact on
  the environment, contribute to public education
  and safety and may present an alternative venue
  for disposal of oil and grease.