The Minnesota Biodiesel Council (MBC) has notified the Minnesota Department of Commerce that it was requesting a 15-day variance on the state’s biodiesel requirement.
The request came after some petroleum terminals in Minnesota reported that they had discovered some of their biodiesel inventory contained more total glycerin than permitted under the ASTM D6751 standard for pure biodiesel, according to MBC information.
“A 15-day variance will give terminals and other blenders the time needed to test their biodiesel inventory and re-supply,” said Don Louwagie, MBC chairman. “We feel very strongly that biodiesel, that does not meet the required standards, has no place in the marketplace. Biodiesel producers and terminal operators must take immediate steps to control quality so that biodiesel can move forward in Minnesota.”
Biodiesel producers and distributors are urged to become accredited producers or certified marketers through BQ-9000, the industry’s quality assurance program.
“Let me be clear that the issue is not statewide and there are many Minnesota diesel users and fleets that are not experiencing problems,” Louwagie said. “There is good quality biodiesel available that continues to provide excellent performance. We determined that it was in the best interests of diesel users to request a 15-day variance to give biodiesel production facilities and terminals an opportunity to fix their problems and re-supply.”
A diesel helpline has been established through the University of Minnesota Center for Diesel Research. Minnesota residents experiencing a problem are urged to report it at 800-929-3437.