Local biodiesel broker urges city and district to consider
cleaner burning fuel for transportation needs
Morgan Hill – School buses in Morgan Hill are in compliance with a federal mandate that they use “green diesel” fuel, but some Morgan Hill residents would like to see the school district use biodiesel fuel for its student transportation needs.
Biodiesel fuel is an alternative fuel made of vegetable oil and diesel which has been growing in consumption since 1992 when Congress passed the Energy Policy Act to reduce the country’s addiction on foreign oil.
The “green diesel” is an extremely low-emissions diesel fuel, with low sulfur content. The engines that burn diesel also have a particulate trap.
The district has recently been informed it would be receiving brand new buses to replace several buses that are more than 30 years old under a state grant program.
John Varela, who owns a company that sells biodiesel fuel, said he has met with city and school officials regarding the use of biodiesel fuel in city and district vehicles.
“Most of the engine manufacturers that supply bus engines want biodiesel fuels used at very low levels,” he said. “Therefore, for the school district to do this, to use biodiesel, it would be a major commitment without the factory warranty covering 100 percent of the usage.”
He said though it is unlikely the district will use the alternative fuel on its buses, he would like the district and the city to consider it. He said even the “green diesel” still emits pollutants into the atmosphere. The biodiesel, he said, can be used by itself or blended with petroleum products. The most common type, he added is a soybean vegetable oil that is produced in the Midwest.
Morgan Hill Unified School District driver supervisor Jim Young said the district is one of the few in the area that has switched over its entire fleet of more than 30 buses to “green diesel” consumption, a federal requirement for all new buses by Jan. 1, 2007.
John Green, a supervisor for the Office of School Transportation in Sacramento, said that the federal guidelines have been taken seriously by California school districts.
“Since the late ’80s, we have seen progressively tighter emissions standards for diesel engines; as a result, emissions have been reduced greatly in the past 15-20 years,” he said. “This low-sulfur diesel, the ‘green diesel,’ burns very clean. California has been moving towards this for many years, we are leaders nationwide.”
He said engine manufacturers have been working to meet the new federal standards with electronically-controlled engines that have particulate traps.
MHUSD officials have considered alternative fuels, Young said; the most common one that has been considered is compressed natural gas.
“That’s the most popular type, but the problem is the lack of a fueling station in the area,” he said. “I’m not aware of any in the area. However, the new green diesel fuel is a lot more safe for the environment than the diesel we used to use.”
Young said the district will continue to look at alternatives, but the buses the district has now are a “huge” improvement over the older buses.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at
md****@mo*************.com.
