Biodiesel Pilot Program - May 16, 2006

WHAT: Announcement of the San Francisco Fire Department's Biodiesel Pilot Program and the Mayor's Executive Order - Biodiesel for Municipal Fleets.

On May 16, 2006, the San Francisco Fire Department will begin the first phase of a six-month, two-phase Biodiesel Pilot Program. Biodiesel is a cleaner burning fuel that works in any diesel engine. Phase I will include 9 rescue vehicles, including 6 fire engines, 2 aerial ladder trucks and 1 ambulance and will be implemented in the Hunter's Point/Visitacion Valley area of San Francisco, an area known for its industrial pollution and poor air quality.

Two members of the San Francisco Fire Department, Firefighter Paramedic Brie Mathews and Firefighter Mike Ferry, initiated and submitted a proposal to convert the entire fleet of San Francisco Fire Department diesel-powered vehicles to the B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel fuel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

Implementation of the SFFD Biodiesel Pilot Program is a step toward the hopeful conversion of all municipal diesel-powered vehicles to biodiesel fuel. More than 600 fleets use the fuel commercially.

There are numerous public health and environmental benefits of converting to the use of biodiesel fuel.

Anyone wishing to learn more about the SFFD Biodiesel Pilot Program, the Mayor's Executive Order and/or the public health and environmental benefits of biodiesel fuel are invited to attend.

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