HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

174

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

requesting the department of transportation to encourage the use of biodiesel fuel for all public buses,fleet vehicles, equipment, and for any other appropriate application.

 

WHEREAS, "biodiesel" means a cleaner-burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources; and

WHEREAS, technically speaking, biodiesel is a vegetable oil methyl ester compound containing no petroleum and easily blended with petroleum diesel at any percentage; and

WHEREAS, biodiesel is produced locally from waste cooking oil, making it the ultimate recycled product and contributing to landfill diversion; and

WHEREAS, biodiesel is offered at a stable price unlike fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, even at a minimal twenty per cent blend, biodiesel significantly reduces emissions and eliminates black smoke, positively impacting congested streets and thoroughfares, particularly for pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, the increasing demand for biodiesel has prompted a major fuel crop study, which has implications for the future of Hawaii in sustainable energy solutions, diversified agriculture, a cleaner, greener environment, and the creation of jobs for a stronger economy; and

WHEREAS, the biodiesel fuel produced commercially in Hawaii meets all United States Environmental Protection Agency and American Society of Testing and Materials standards; and

WHEREAS, biodiesel is better for diesel engines, providing increased lubrication that can lower maintenance costs and even extend the life of the engine; and

WHEREAS, even at a slightly higher price than petroleum diesel, Hawaii fleets are finding biodiesel preferable; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Department of Transportation and the counties are requested to require, to the extent possible, and to otherwise encourage the use of at least a minimum biodiesel blend of twenty per cent, commonly known as "B-20", for all public buses, fleet vehicles, equipment, and other appropriate applications to the extent that biodiesel is available at a competitive cost; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation and to the Mayor and the Chairperson of the Council of each county.

 

 

Report Title:

Biodiesel Fuel; Public Buses; DOT