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County is seeking waste vegetable oil donors for biofuel production
By Justin Goble
Officials at the Jackson County Green Energy Park are seeking donations of waste vegetable oil to produce biodiesel to power county vehicles.
In an effort to fight rising fuel costs, county commissioners set aside $177,000 to start producing biodiesel at the park in Dillsboro. While that would pay for equipment and a small staff, GEP Director Timm Muth told officials the county would still need to find enough waste vegetable oil to make biodiesel production cost effective.
None of the funds will be spent until officials can to guarantee there is enough waste vegetable oil. Muth estimates the county would need about 1,000 gallons of vegetable oil a week to produce enough for its diesel vehicles and said he is hoping to collect that from local restaurants and businesses.
County officials are proposing to remove large amounts of fryer oil from restaurants free of charge, Muth said. The oil would also be considered a charitable donation that business owners can write off on their taxes.
“By donating their used vegetable oil to the county, businesses can eliminate their oil-disposal costs, and at the same time receive a tax deduction for a charitable contribution,” Muth said.
The county will even offer to provide new grease bins to store the oil in until it can be collected, Muth said.
Waste oil from individuals or businesses with smaller amounts will also be accepted, Muth said.
“People will be able to bring their oil to the Green Energy Park or to any of the county staffed recycling centers and still receive a tax credit,” he said.
If the biodiesel plan gets off the ground, Muth said people in Jackson County would see other benefits besides a tax break. Since the fuel would be used in the county school buses, he said it would improve the air quality both inside and outside the vehicles.
“Several recent studies have shown pollution levels inside an operating school bus to be four to eight times higher than those outside the rear of the bus,” he said. “The fine particles found in diesel exhaust have been proven to increase the likelihood of childhood asthma, while buses using biodiesel fuel emit 70 percent less of these same fine particulates. Even if you’re not a parent, fewer cases of childhood asthma and other pollution-related illnesses means lower public health care costs.”
Collecting the oil also prevents it from being poured down sewer drains, a practice prohibited by the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority since it creates a number of problems within the sewer system.
Area restaurants, schools, colleges, and commercial kitchens will be contacted by the GEP in the coming months to see if they wish to participate in the waste oil collection program, Muth said.
Interested parties may also contact the GEP directly at 631-0271 to sign up.
If the program gets under way, collection drums will be placed at all of the county SRCs. Closed and labeled containers of used fryer oil can also be brought directly to the Green Energy Park in Dillsboro.
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