News
Switch to biodiesel going well for Nicholas schools
The transportation director of the Nicholas County school system says he is pleased so far with the results of the decision to switch from diesel to a mix of soy-based biodiesel fuel.
The new fuel is expected to curb the odor of traditional diesel fuel, reducing allergens and health risks to not only the students riding the county’s 55 buses but also the general public.
“It’s a cleaner burning fuel,” Dave Baber said. “It burns using vegetable oil.”
Nicholas is one of 15 counties in West Virginia using the fuel.
Baber said in addition to the environmental and health benefits of the alternative fuel, the state has also offered its own incentive, refunding counties that use the fuel 95 percent of their fuel costs as opposed to 90 percent for diesel fuel.
Though Baber said he had considered making the switch prior to this school year, he had had a difficult time finding a source to provide the fuel.
When the state offered the monetary incentive, however, Baber said his interest picked back up and the official decision to change over was made last spring after he attended training classes and gathered information from vehicle manufacturers to ensure the fuel was a safe option.
“I looked for a long time but couldn’t find a provider,” he said. “When the state offered 95 percent (reimbursement), I started looking at different ways.”
Nicholas receives the fuel from L. Adkins Oil in Craigsville, and though Baber says the fuel is about 15 cents more per gallon than diesel fuel, he says the county will make up for that with the additional state reimbursement.
Baber says there are no noticeable differences yet, but adds as the buses adjust to the new fuel, the odor should reduce and the costs of maintenance on buses should decrease because of the cleaner burn of the fuel.
“It should pay off in the long run,” he said. “I think all counties should try it out.”
— E-mail:
mjames@register-herald.com
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