Free fuel?
People with vehicles that run on vegetable oil can find places to get free oil.
“With fuel prices going bonkers, this just seemed like a no-brainer,” said Rick Dimont, Montgomery County program manager for hazardous waste and waste reduction.
“It?s kinda nice because you keep all that grease out of the drains and out of the waste-stream, and at the same time, people get a good, clean fuel for free,” he said.
Dimont said the Montgomery County Web site is a “conduit” to connect used vegetable oil generators with the owners of cars that operate on oil.
Those who want to utilize the oil must agree to pick it up from the restaurants free of charge. Restaurant owners typically view the used oil from deep fryers as waste material and pay to have it hauled away. Vegetable oil, however, can be used to produce a renewable fuel for diesel vehicles that have been specially formatted to run on grease.
The new fuel is safe, biodegradable and able to reduce air pollutants such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, according to county officials.
John McManus, owner of Bethesda?s The Barking Dog restaurant, said he planned to make his grease available.
“We have a 50-barrel drum of leftover oil here that is always available,” he said. “We make our own potato chips, french fries, onion rings, everything in that oil. In the old days, they used to take the grease away for free, now they charge me to get rid of the stuff. We?ll definitely sign up.”
According to Dimont, mileage for grease-guzzling vehicles is similar to that of diesel fuel.
ON THE NET
For free vegetable oil, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/veggieoil
