Report Title:

State-owned vehicles; biodiesel pilot program

Description:

Requires the comptroller of the department of accounting and general services to begin a pilot program to run state-owned diesel-powered vehicles on biodiesel fuel.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2030

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to biodiesel.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature recognizes:

    1. That the use of motor vehicles has a significant impact on the environment and public health of the state of Hawaii;

(2) Motor vehicles greatly contribute to carbon dioxide emissions and other toxic contaminants that infiltrate Hawaii's natural beauty. Diesel exhaust, in particular, is likely to cause lung cancer in humans, chronic and acute bronchitis, asthma attacks, and respiratory illnesses. Children are particularly at risk. For example, nearly 200,000 children risk their health breathing diesel exhaust fumes from riding diesel-powered buses to school every day;

(3) Although stringent standards established by the United States environmental protection agency for new diesel engine technology will take effect with the 2007 model year, a significant majority of diesel-powered school buses used presently will continue to be used for several more years;

(4) Using biodiesel in place of, or blended with, petroleum diesel reduces emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon particulates, and air toxins from new or existing diesel engines; and

(5) The State maintains a large motor pool of over 5,000 vehicles, a great number of which are diesel-powered.

SECTION 2. The comptroller of the department of accounting and general services shall conduct a pilot program on the use of biodiesel in all diesel-powered compression-ignition engines owned and operated by the State in its motor pool. The use of biodiesel in the state motor pool shall be phased in accordingly:

    1. 25 per cent of the motor pool within the first year after the effective date of this act;
    2. 50 per cent of the motor pool within the second year after the effective date of this act; and
    3. 100 per cent of the motor pool within the third year after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 3. The state diesel-powered motor pool may use a fuel blend of twenty per cent biodiesel and eighty per cent petroleum diesel for use in diesel-powered motor pool vehicles. Effective June 1, 2006, in order to comply with the ultra-low sulfur diesel mandate of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for on-highway diesel fuel, the comptroller shall use biodiesel as an additive to ultra-low sulfur diesel for lubricity, provided that the use of a lubricity additive is warranted and that the use of biodiesel is comparable in performance and cost with other available lubricity additives. The amount of biodiesel added to the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel shall be not less than two per cent.

SECTION 4. For purposes of this act, the term "biodiesel", unless the context clearly requires otherwise, means a mono alkyl ester of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats for use in compression-ignition engines and that meets the requirements of the American society of testing and materials specification D 6751 in effect as of the effective date of this act.

SECTION 5. The comptroller shall submit a report to the legislature setting forth the findings of the biodiesel pilot project, including feasibility, cost effectiveness, performance evaluations, effect on the environment, and any other relevant determination, not later than twenty days before the convening of the regular session of 2010.

SECTION 6. It is the intent of the legislature that implementation of this pilot project will not produce a significant financial burden on the department of accounting and general services or the state. The legislature calls upon the comptroller to explore alternative means of funding this pilot project, which are those costs not associated with the purchase of diesel fuels for the motor pool. Examples of alternative means of funding include the use of state and federal grants, but excluding the use of money from the state general fund. Examples of costs not associated with the purchase of diesel fuels includes additional administrative costs, research costs, or other costs necessary to bring about the report required of the legislature. The department of accounting and general services may use those funds available in its general budget.

SECTION 7. The biodiesel pilot project shall cease after adjournment sine die of the 2010 regular session of the legislature.

SECTION 8. The department of accounting and general services may continue to utilize biodiesel on its own accord after the expiration of this pilot project without further legislative act.

SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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