Going Green: Biodiesel in Washington State (500 word draft)

Washington State begins implementing biodiesel initiatives in efforts to reduce negative impacts on climate change.
The continued efforts to pursue alternative fuels for this state have led others to join the effort. In recent weeks, The Daily Evergreen, Washington State Universities’ campus paper, published a story on a group of students who formed the Universities’ first Biodiesel Club. The club, being newly created, is still figuring out supply, production, and safety variables. However, once established, they estimate their initial production to be around 200 gallons of biodiesel per day.
However, Washington is no stranger to using biodiesel. In fact, the largest biodiesel production facility in the United States is located in Grays Harbor. This plant was opened in August of 2007 and has a production capacity of 100 million gallons per year and can process different feedstock (crops) simultaneously.
This facility was one of several steps being taken by the state to reduce our dependence on petroleum products and reduce greenhouse gases. One of Washington’s newest initiatives, taking effect this December, will require all fuel sold in the state to contain a minimum of two percent ethanol blend. This means an increase in the amount of bio fuels, and potentially an increase in fuel crops produced by Washington state farmers.
Currently, the Grays Harbor Facility receives much of its feedstock from Canada. Unfortunately, the price of vegetable oil worldwide has increased between 100 to 200 percent in the last year. This in turn has greatly slowed the growth of the bio fuel industry. In an article recently published by the Tacoma News Tribune, Imperium Renewables Inc., owner of the Grays Harbor facility, halted a $345 million project to build four new facilities. The article also attributed that the facilities main source of feedstock is supposed to be produced by Eastern Washington farmers, but that aspect of the market has not materialized yet.
Although the food market has made marketing bio fuels much more difficult, the qualities they have still render them a valuable asset to Washington State and the world. Bio fuels contain no petroleum, but can be blended to create a mixture. They can be produced using renewable resources and are non-toxic. The National Biodiesel Board states the biodiesel is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. Many of the harmful greenhouse gasses such as Carbon Monoxide, Hydrocarbons, Nitrous Oxides and Sulfur are often reduced around 50 percent or more by pure biodiesel compared to petroleum diesel.
The potential for a strong bio fuel industry here in Washington is great. However, current economic trends are proving it difficult for commercial and state entities to move forward. If a solution can be reached that would allow the industry to expand, the repercussions would be profound. Bio fuels have the potential to bridge the gap between our dependence on foreign oil and the ideal day where our impact on the climate nears zero.