How Long Beach plans to take steps towards cleaner emissions with help from LB Transit… and maybe a little cooking oil. For free!
In an effort to improve the city’s air quality and lower fuel dependency, Vice-Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal has advocated for the use of biodiesel fuels as an alternative to fossil fuels. Lowenthal suggests that the fuel be implemented for use with all City vehicles, and hints at the idea of making its use widespread to the public.
Tuesday, the City Council approved City Manager West to proceed with a feasibility study, a process that Lowenthal Chief of Staff Niki Tenant says should take about 30-60 days.
Tenant lists biodiesel’s greatest qualities as being a readily available alternative to fossil fuels, no new crops need to be grown for use, it provides about a 30% increase in efficiency, and is a sustainable resource. She also explained that the main issues the study will examine are exactly which blend of biodiesel to use – blends ranging from 80% to 100% are available – whether or not engine modifications will be required, and what the cost will be.
“Some folks say it wont cost anything at all to convert the engines for biodiesel use,” Tenant said. “Other people say that it will take minor modifications.”
Lowenthal also points out that the cities of Santa Barbara and San Francisco have been successful in their efforts to incorporate biodiesel blends into their fleets. Some California cities have fully integrated biodiesel vehicles into their fleets, while others are taking baby steps. Tenant describes Long Beach as “a little behind the times” when it comes to biodiesel implementation.
“One advocate has looked into used restaurant oil as a possible fuel source,” she says. “It sounds a little outlandish but its apparently being done already.”
The next step is waiting for the City Manager’s study, which could take month or more but likely will be accelerated because Long Beach Transit has studied biodiesel use in the past and had information readily available. Because LB Transit has already done most of the heavy lifting, West expressed confidence that the study can be done for free.