June 16, 2007: Vol. 30, No. 24
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Yassky: More biodiesel
for The Brooklyn Paper
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del.icio.usA Brooklyn Heights councilman wants every building in the city to be partially powered by the stuff that comes out of the fryer at your local diner.
David Yassky’s soon-to-be-introduced “Bioheat Act of 2007” calls for building heating systems to be running on a cleaner-burning mix of fuel made up of 95 percent regular diesel and five percent vegetable-based fuel by 2009.
The percentage of the green gas in the biodiesel mix would rise to 10 percent in 2011 and 20 percent by 2013.
“An enormous amount of pollution comes from buildings,” said Yassky spokesman Sam Rockwell. “This would be a good and very easy first step to begin solving that problem.”
Beyond the energy savings and pollution reduction, Yassky said the best thing about his bill is the cost: negligible. Current boilers can get to that 20 percent mix without modifications.
Even before Yassky’s bill, the city has caught green fever. A new plant is being built in Red Hook to convert leftover oil from restaurants into usable fuel, and Rep. Vito Fossella (R–Bay Ridge) recently proposed increasing the tax credit to restaurants that donate their used oil. A few months ago, DUMBO restaurants agreed to recycle their grease, which they’re are happy to do because otherwise they have to pay to dispose of it.
Mayor Bloomberg recently ordered the taxi industry to convert to eco-friendly hybrids — another Yassky initiative.
©2007 The Brooklyn Paper
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