East Ridge Continues With Bio-Diesel Plan

      East Ridge pushes forward with plans to fuel the city's fleet with biodiesel made from used cooking oil. Council members got a run down on the plan tonight. The city is continuing with their efforts to lead the way in environmental technology with a bio-diesel plan that will save money as well as the community.
     "We intend to produce biofuels, use it in our fleet, we know that we will save money at the pumps for our citizens and for operating our fleet. We know it'll make it more efficient.", says East Ridge Public Safety Director Eddie Phillips.
     The plan is in it's early stages, but it's a simple process that's explained by city Fleet and Biodiesel coordinator Kevin Verro.
     "We start out with the raw product with all of the drippings and anything else straight out of the fryer straight to us. From there we put it into a container and mix it with some other chemicals and we'll split the oil molecule apart and harvest the hydrocarbons off of it, which is the fuel."
      Even simpler is the savings, not only to tax payers, but to small restaurant owners. "We have a lot of mom and pop shops around they are stuck with the costs of disposing. We're gonna go over there hand them a container and say we'll take it from you for free."
      The plan should be in place by early spring. East Ridge City Manager William Whitson is excited to see the plan enacted. "We want to reach out to the citizens and offer them an opportunity to participate, the restaurants, the business community and we want to bring it all together so that it can benefit our community and we are going to invite the whole community to see the city council help process the very first batch in March of 2010."