Washington Senate votes for biodiesel
By Doug Nadvornick, Spokane Public Radio
(We had help with this story from TV Washington)
The Washington Senate today (Monday) approved a bill requiring all diesel fuel sold in the state to contain at least two-percent biodiesel. The goal is to build demand for the crops needed to make biodiesel and encourage Washington farmers to grow them.
Several senators argue the state is trying to force the growth of a new industry.
Spokane Public Radio’s Doug Nadvornick reports.
The creation of a biodiesel industry has been one of the highest priorities this session for legislative leaders like Pierce County Senator Marilyn Rasmussen.
“I hope that we send a message to our farmers, ‘you start growing it so we don’t have to buy the fuel for biodiesel from either the Midwest or Canada or somewhere else.”
Rasmussen, her fellow Democratic legislators and the governor say government can help create a demand for biodiesel. The bill approved Monday would require two-percent biodiesel by volume in all diesel fuels by late 2008 or perhaps before that, if the state Agriculture Department director says enough crops are grown in the state to satisfy the biodiesel mandate.
Republicans say they want to support the state’s efforts to create a biodiesel industry. But they say this bill may move too quickly for farmers who want to grow biodiesel crops. Northeastern Washington Senator Bob Morton says the market, not the state, should lead the way.
“We do not know that we’ll actually have the crop, nor do we know that we’ll have the processing needed to process the crop. It’s very serious that we could depend on farmers to grow when they have no guarantee their crop will be processed or even a processor established to do it.”
Monday’s vote on the biodiesel bill was 27-20. A similar bill was approved in the state House last Friday.