High gas prices drive some to illegal veggie fuels

Tools

By Beth Boehne

HEBER CITY, Utah (AP) — Bill Hartlieb's welding shop smells like restaurant grease.

That's because Hartlieb has set up a small-scale refinery to recycle used vegetable oils from dining establishments into biodiesel fuel to power cars and trucks.

He's among a growing number of Utahns — fed up with high gas prices — who are using and making biodiesel and straight vegetable oil fuel, or SVO. The practice is illegal under federal law.

Hartlieb, however, disputes the hobby violates the Clean Air Act. He says vegetable oil fuels release fewer emissions than petroleum.

"I think it's really kind of a gray issue," he said.

Hartlieb makes about 20 percent of the fuel he needs. He buys the rest at a Park City station that sells biodiesel.

The growing popularity of home-based vegetable oil-based fuel production may be fraught with legal consequences. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has a list of companies certified to convert vehicles to alternative fuel. No companies for SVO kits are listed, although one is testing with the EPA.

"Basically, all diesel fuels and gasoline fuels and fuel additives are required to be registered with the EPA," says Jeff Kimes, a Denver-based EPA environmental engineer.

Penalties for mechanics and companies that convert vehicles to run on vegetable max out at $32,500 per violation, per day. Some investigations are under way.

It's also against Utah tax laws to burn biodiesel without paying fuel taxes, Utah State Tax Commission spokesman Charlie Roberts. Driver pay at the pump, and home-based biodiesel fuel makers should be paying too, Roberts said.

"A biodiesel fuel is a special fuel, and so they should be filling out a special user return and paying the 24.5 cents tax per gallon," Roberts says.

The Tax Commission, however, wouldn't tax SVO fuel because is illegal and not sold by retailers in the United States.

Biodiesel sold by retailers is legal, but the same material produced at a private garage is not, unless its certified by ASTM International, an organization of technical, consumer and government experts.

In Utah, about 20 stations sell biodiesel from Logan to Moab.

Syracuse resident Graydon Blair sells supplies for making biodiesel over the Internet. He started the business on the side in 2005. He now ships more than 100 orders weekly and quit his day job at Intermountain Healthcare. Only about 1 percent of his business is in Utah.

Blair says most biodiesel- and SVO-makers in Utah have gone "underground" after a spat between fuel-makers and grease-collection and rendering companies. The issue ended up before the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, which regulates transporting and disposing of wastes.

It's now illegal to collect grease from Salt Lake County restaurants without a permit.

___

Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com

Tuesday, Oct 7 at 7:58 PM Todd wrote ...

lets do everything illegal screw the govt!!!

Tuesday, Oct 7 at 4:51 PM Treb wrote ...

Big oil says " Let the poor suffer, there used to it". Big oil prices have gotten all of us in a bind.

Wednesday, Sep 10 at 5:21 PM dog wrote ...

BJK. You shure got got that right for sure

Thursday, Aug 21 at 5:07 AM tob wrote ...

Big oil = Goverment. Any way to keep people buying big oil product.

Wednesday, Aug 20 at 1:28 AM Brian wrote ...

You know, if our electric power plants ran on petrol instead of coal/nuclear the oil lobby would have made home solar/wind power illegal too

Tuesday, Aug 19 at 4:11 PM Randal wrote ...

If i need fuel and the price is skyrocketed i will make my own from grass clippings,yes grass clippings. You can use potatoes or grain or any plant material cooked with yeast, sugar,etc. Wood alcohol burns fine when mixed with other materials. Country folk are not stupid by a far shot. If we need something we find a way to get it. What will they do ? raid me for making fuel for my car??? No it's not drinkable-wood alcohol kills if you drink it.

Tuesday, Aug 19 at 1:20 PM Nick wrote ...

Its illegal under federal law to let a car run on biodiesel? So we're FORCED to buy gas? Come on thats some bull$#@* right there. Someone in the government made a pact with someone high up in the oil food chain for that to be illegal. What happened to the 'promotion of alternative fuels' huh bush?

Monday, Aug 18 at 5:42 PM Joe wrote ...

I really dislike the oil companys

Monday, Aug 18 at 8:43 AM Math wrote ...

More like big government sticking its fingers into everything. Taxes on self made fuel? What a crock. Should we tax people for making a camp fire?

Monday, Aug 18 at 12:24 AM bjk100 wrote ...

sounds like big oil trying to monopolize everything to me!

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

Comments are moderated and will not appear on this story until after they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting.

WSBT and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

WSBT Weather

icon
Current Temp 40
°
More Weather
More On Demand

Stock Quotes

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tonight On WSBTFull Schedule

7.00
Wheel of Fortune
7.30
Jeopardy!
8.00
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
9.00
Grammy Nominations Concert Live
10.00
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
11.00
WSBT News
11.35
Late Show with David Letterman

Question of The Day

Do you agree with Notre Dame’s decision to keep Charlie Weis?

E-mail your comments. We'll pick some to read during WSBT News at 5.

  • Yes
  • No