Streets chief back biodiesel
Bozeman's street superintendent John Van Delinder has been using biodiesel for five years. Today's Billings Gazette reports:
The street department uses about 10,000 gallons of fuel a year and buying B-20, which means biodiesel with a 20 percent blend of biologically produced materials, costs about 7 cents less per gallon regular diesel, he said. The city's forestry crew, which he oversees, swears the chipper produces less smoke and fumes running on biodiesel.
The only problem, Van Delinder conceded, was that he has a little trouble getting the "old timers" on board. "They're just not wanting to try something new" and are afraid their equipment will break down, he said.
When another department comes to his shop for maintenance, he'll fill their vehicles with biodiesel and "they don't even know they're using it," he said.
The street department uses about 10,000 gallons of fuel a year and buying B-20, which means biodiesel with a 20 percent blend of biologically produced materials, costs about 7 cents less per gallon regular diesel, he said. The city's forestry crew, which he oversees, swears the chipper produces less smoke and fumes running on biodiesel.
The only problem, Van Delinder conceded, was that he has a little trouble getting the "old timers" on board. "They're just not wanting to try something new" and are afraid their equipment will break down, he said.
When another department comes to his shop for maintenance, he'll fill their vehicles with biodiesel and "they don't even know they're using it," he said.
