See also the last article about Portland's biodiesel push, Portland requires stations to sell biofuels, giving farmers a boost, 22 May 2006. -Ed.

---

By Todd Murphy

Portland's diesel fuel goes biodiesel Wednesday.

That is the deadline the City Council set more than a year ago in requiring that virtually all diesel fuel sold in Portland be at least 5 percent biodiesel.

"We are the first and only local government in the country to do this," said Michelle Crim, a program manager in the city's Office of Sustainable Development.

Biodiesel is an increasingly popular alternative fuel that is either partly or wholly made from biological sources, such as mustard seed or canola oil.

Most studies and experts say that burning fuel that is partly or mostly biodiesel produces significantly fewer hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter than burning petroleum diesel.

It also helps combat global warming, because the plants used to make it take carbon dioxide - which helps contribute to global warming - out of the atmosphere.

Portland's requirement for all of the city's service stations is happening as the city makes a large biodiesel push in additional ways. Almost all of the city's trucks and other large vehicles now run on some version of biodiesel fuel.

Many of them are running on what's call B50 - or fuel that is roughly half biodiesel and half petroleum diesel. Vehicles operated by the city's water bureau - which is overseen by Commissioner Randy Leonard, who has become a biodiesel advocate over the past two years - now run on B99, or fuel that is nearly 100 percent biodiesel.

The city's requirement for biodiesel sold at Portland's service stations requires a much lower portion of actual biodiesel in the fuel than B50 or B99. The requirement is that all stations that offer diesel fuel must offer only B5 biodiesel or above. B5 biodiesel is 95 percent petroleum diesel and 5 percent biodiesel.

The one exception to that requirement, informally called the "Jubitz exception," is that if a station offers B20 or above - fuel that contains at least 20 percent biodiesel - then it also can offer regular petroleum diesel.

Officials with the Jubitz truck stop on Interstate 5 in North Portland had expressed concern that the truck stop would lose business from truckers who did not want to use biodiesel.

Paul Romain, executive director of the Oregon Petroleum Association, said service station owners will comply with the ordinance "because that's what the law is. We never have, and will always not like, mandates. But we sell the stuff; we'll make it work."