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Department of Ecology News Release - Nov. 17, 2003
03-223
OLYMPIA - Intercity Transit, which serves several cities and parts of unincorporated Thurston County, will receive the state's top environmental award today for pioneering the use of biodiesel in its entire fleet of buses.
The Department of Ecology will present an Environmental Excellence Award at 5:30 p.m. tonight at a joint meeting of the Intercity Transit Authority and Citizens Work Group. The meeting will occur at 526 Pattison St. S.E. in Olympia and is open to the public.
Ecology's air-quality manager, Mary Burg, will present the award. She said, "Intercity Transit has shown that using alternative fuels is very doable, and many citizens will enjoy better health because of it."
Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning form of diesel that is made from vegetable oils from plants and recycled restaurant grease. It helps protect air quality because it produces fewer tiny particles that pollute air and cause health problems, said Burg. Biodiesel exhaust also emits less deadly carbon monoxide, smells better and is a less-toxic alternative to diesel.
"Biodiesel also is made from natural, renewable resources, which is an added bonus," Burg said.
The fuel's popularity is rising among agencies, businesses, boaters, marinas and automobile drivers, said Burg. Refuse haulers, buses and ferries are testing it and using it. It is attractive because it helps clean the air, it can be burned in any conventional diesel engine, and its availability is increasing.
"Intercity Transit is leading the way, showing that biodiesel works. They didn't just test it, they shifted their whole fleet over to it," said Linda Graham, executive director of Clean Cities Coalition.
The bus fleet currently uses a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel, and plans to double the amount of biodiesel to 40 percent early next year, according to Meg Kester, spokeswoman for Intercity Transit.
Although it is far less toxic than petroleum diesel, biodiesel can still create an environmental problem if it is spilled in water or near water. Any spill of biodiesel or other kind of gas, oil or hazardous material should be immediately reported to Ecology at 800-OILS-911 or by calling your nearest Ecology regional office (listed in the phone book).
Intercity Transit provides public transportation services in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm. Riders board its buses more than 8,800 times each week day, 2.8 million times this year.
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Contacts: Sandy Howard, Department of Ecology, 360-407-6239
Meg Kester, Intercity Transit, 360-705-5842
Frequently asked questions about biodiesel in underground storage tanks: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0309103.html
Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition (for information about who's using biodiesel): http://www.pugetsoundcleancities.org
Intercity Transit Web site: http://www.intercitytransit.com
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
