Graham, Keith, Tom, et. al. Graham,
First, I sincerely hope that you do not bow out of this discussion, as your participation does provide a perspective that otherwise has been absent (in my limited experience with this listserve). I also want to thank Keith for his wonderful post a while back on the issue of soybean subsidies. Second, I think that there are some points to consider in Graham's argument that all BDers should think about. It's true that we haven't seen any particulars wrt actual failings of the product of small biodiesel producers, and that it is certainly unfair of the NBB to summarily dismiss small producers on the basis of their product quality. If the NBB were in fact really interested in promoting small-scale production, it would be suggesting ways to work with backyarders rathe than simply suggesting that they bow out. I can give only a single anecdote from my own extremely limited experience, that may or may not count as it is coming second/third hand. The owner of Fuelwerks, the place where I buy (World Energy) biodiesel in Seattle, told me that he had a bad experience with poor quality biodiesel from Portland, and that is why he is sticking with World Energy. He also claimed that Seattle Metro (bus service) had a bad experience as well and consequently was now set against biodiesel. Now I understand that the specifics in these stories are missing, and so they don't weigh in as evidence either for or against small producers. That is the point that has been made over and over. A more significant point has been missed, however, namely that regardless of the truth of a basis for concern about the quality of backyard production, the perception is equally important. What we are trying to do is to (re)introduce a (old) new technology. The average driver, who knows nothing of mechanics, fuel technology, and so on, is going to be wary of sticking an unfamiliar substance in their tank. Doubly and triply so for the commercial or government fleet manager. We're talking about both actual risk and the perception thereof. We all know that bad news travels further and faster than good news, and so just one actual or perceived bad experience by someone putting biodiesel in their tank (regardless of whether the biodiesel was actually at fault or was simply blamed for something else that went wrong) can set back our mutual agenda. We need a couple of things. First, better public information and more outreach, such as the Clean Cities Coalition did with their biodiesel symposium in Seattle in Sept 2001. Second, more help / technical assistance for small scale producers, in understanding the regulations and tax implications. What we get instead are generally warnings and threats. That makes people, including me, just want to dig in our heels and raise a middle finger. Here are some specific actions. 1) The NBB should make its Tier 1 testing results available to any small producers who want them, without having to submit to its fee structure that discriminates against small producers OR it should revise that fee structure to be fair to small producers. NBB has, unfortunately, decided it easier simply to wave away all backyard biodiesel, a strategy for which Graham is now receiving a lot of flak. [As a side note, I don't think the NBB has a leg to stand on anyway, as these results were paid for with public money--soybean checkoff funds--and therefore cannot be appropriated for private benefit. But the NBB evidently wants to make someone work to establish that. There are FOIA requirements at play here.] 2) EPA and the IRS should publish specific, clear, unambiguous guidelines with regard to taxation and certification requirements for biodiesel, in plain English and not lawyer-speak. Having spent hours wading through CFR and federal register announcements about EPA regs for biodiesel and fuel testing, as well as a lot of time on the phone with EPA, I have found these rules abstruse and contradictory. Even Joe Sopata at EPA told me that their own regs didn't jibe with the law. Perhaps things have been clarified recently, to the better. 3) The fuel tax is fair and good, IMO. It is a user fee (and therefore relatively progressive as a tax), and goes to pay for roads and transportation projects. But it is a lot of paperwork (at least in Washington State) to go through: you have to register as a fuel dealer, submit a whole bunch of forms, and so on, even if you are just producing for your own use and not for sale. I would like to see this process streamlined and made more accessible. At present, it seems to encourage avoidance rather than participation. 4) We need to agree on some kind of quality standards. Perhaps I am flogging a dead horse here, but I haven't been able to read a consensus on this forum about the feasibility of ASTM testing for small producers. Standards make the world go round, and without them, car manufacturers and engine manufacturers won't agree to warranty BD use; then car owners and fleet managers won't want to use it (that perception of risk I talked about earlier). As a final note, although I am all for decentralized production (especially using WVO), and would buy locally made BD over World Energy if I had the option, I have to say I am glad the NBB and World Energy exist. Graham, even though I don't think your business model is ideal (using subsidized, conventional agriculture virgin oil, and shipping it all over the country to be processed and sold) I do appreciate that at this stage in the game you are providing a consistent supply of product to places that otherwise may not have it. I also think we are better off having a relatively large organization to do lobbying on behalf of BD in Congress, something I certainly couldn't do (very effectively) if I were a small producer. Someone has to take on the oil companies and do the outreach to engine manufacturers, and the small producer community is simply not well-enough organized at this point to do so. Even if the NBB is interested principally in feathering its own nest, at least ADM (an otherwise thoroughly reprehensible company) et al are lobbying for, for example, BD tax-exemptions. For NBB and small producers to work together effectively, both sides will have to give something, and both have something to offer. But each will have to look beyond its self-interests to do so. At this time, the NBB has greater political and economic power, and is (perhaps?) better organized to act. Small-scale producers may need to think about organizing somehow (a national cooperative?) to focus their voices. best to all, thor skov > ===== Grants Manager Stillaguamish Tribe Of Indians 3439 Stoluckquamish Lane P.O. Box 277 Arlington, WA 98223-0277 (360) 652-7362 Ext 284 __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus – Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://webconx.green-trust.org/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. 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