New Study Shows Biodiesel Benefits at the Local Level

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Clean Fuels Alliance America has just released the latest results of a groundbreaking study on the air quality benefits of biodiesel, particularly in the context of underserved Environmental Justice communities.

The latest study from Trinity Consultants, conducted on 15 high-risk air quality communities coast-to-coast, reinforces that switching to biodiesel results in substantial health benefits. Specifically, the benefits include decreased cancer risk, fewer premature deaths, reduced asthma attacks and fewer lost workdays. B100 can achieve these benefits by reducing pollution in applications among the hardest to decarbonize –heavy-duty transportation and residential heating.

Expanding on Phase 1, completed last year, the report focused on communities in Phoenix; Las Vegas; Houston; Detroit; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Chicago; St. Louis; Indianapolis; Cleveland/Akron/Canton, Ohio; Boston; Buffalo, New York; Port of Elizabeth, New York/New Jersey; Charlotte, North Carolina; Philadelphia and the District of Columbia. The majority of the sites are named in the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report as among the “most polluted cities.”

The Trinity study found that replacing diesel fuel with biodiesel in Washington D.C. alone could reduce the symptoms of asthma (such as needing to use an inhaler) by nearly 13,000 incidents per year. It also found that annual lost workdays could be reduced by almost 5,700, representing close to $1.5 million in economic activity. Overall, the economic benefit of improved health in the Washington, D.C., area would total over $262 million each year.

Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen said, “Although we’ve seen a decrease in diesel particulate matter overall thanks to improving technologies, a large gap remains between EJ and non-EJ communities. The time to act is now. Biodiesel and renewable diesel can make a difference in quality of life today – not waiting decades into the future.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Farm Progress: But it turns out biodiesel and renewable diesel offer an added benefit when used in place of conventional diesel: the fuels reduce particulate matter.

That fact has been known for some time. Even older diesel engines burning bio-based diesel forms can cut their particulate matter emissions considerably. And the fuel has a benefit when used for home heating oil too. A new study commissioned by the Clean Fuels Alliance America shows the urban impact of cutting particulate emissions.

Using accepted standards for environmental and air quality monitoring, the study looked at what could happen if conventional diesel was replaced by a biobased product. The results show some significant impacts, from reducing the incidents of asthma attacks to cutting hospital stays to preventing deaths caused by particulate matter.

Floyd Vergara, director of state governmental affairs at Clean Fuels America Alliance, discusses the report explaining the results and sharing the potential for this renewable fuel to make significant inroads in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing added environmental benefits. He even offers tips for farmers in helping tell this story.