The Honorable XXXXX XXXXXX Assemblyman / Senator State Capitol Sacramento, CA XXXXX

Date

RE: SB 1574 – SUPPORT

Dear Representative / Senator:

As a member of the Southern California Biodiesel Users Group I along with 3,693 other members are users of Biodiesel and strongly support the use of this alternative fuel. The majority of access the biodiesel we comes use from facilities with underground storage tanks. SB 1574 is a step in the right direction, however limiting the underground storage of biodiesel to blends of B20 and below is not acceptable. We need to allow storage of all blends of biodiesel including B100 until Underwriters Laboratories makes provision for material certification.

I am writing to express my support for SB 1574, which will allow biodiesel stations and fleets operators to continue to use biodiesel in underground storage tanks (USTs) up to B20 blends. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRB) has recently issued a letter indicating that biodiesel cannot be used in USTs because Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has not certified the USTs for use with biodiesel. The UST equipment manufactures have tested biodiesel with their equipment and approved them for use with biodiesel, but UL has not had sufficient time to complete its certification processes as it has been focused on other fuels like ethanol. SB 1574 creates a grace period for UL to compete its work, allowing biodiesel to continue to be used in USTs during the grace period, which will expire as soon as the UL standards are in place or until January 1, 2012, whichever is sooner.

The need for this legislation is extremely urgent. In a few short months, local enforcement agencies have moved quickly, shutting down city-run programs in Santa Monica and Pasadena, threatening the city of Stockton’s program, and red-tagging pumps at fueling stations around the state, making it illegal for them to receive future biodiesel shipments. This rapid and forceful enforcement has halted groundbreaking environmental programs and presents a potentially fatal blow to the entire California biodiesel industry.

California’s biodiesel industry, which produces the majority of its fuel from recycled sources, offers a model of safety and sustainability for this truly green fuel. Among its many benefits, the use of biodiesel is key to reducing a host of damaging health effects—especially to children—of diesel vehicle pollution. And as a low carbon fuel, with the potential to reduce CO2 by as 78% or more, biodiesel is an important part of California’s leadership, through AB32, in reducing the greenhouse gasses responsible for the devastating effects of global warming.

I support SB 1574, which would allow biodiesel fueling to continue while cities and industry cooperate to insure the best certification for underground storage tanks, pipes, and fittings. However provisions also must be made to allow storage of biodiesel blends up to B100. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Your Name