Bus operator blasts biodiesel mandate

On Jan. 4, a blustery cold day with temperatures hovering around 30 below zero, at least 35 Brainerd school buses, or half of Reichert Bus Service's fleet, briefly stalled or broke down that morning because the diesel fuel was gelling.

Mark Moran of Reichert Bus Service told two area lawmakers Thursday that the problem was the new state mandate that increased the biodiesel blend in diesel fuel from 2 to 5 percent this year. Minnesota is one of three states, including Oregon and Washington, that have such biodiesel mandates.

Moran spoke Thursday during the Brainerd School Board Legislative Committee meeting to Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, and Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd. He asked the lawmakers to support a waiver of the 5 percent biodiesel mandate for the state's three coldest months, December, January and February, because of these extreme cold temperature problems.

Moran said about a half-hour to 45 minutes into their bus routes the morning Jan. 4, bus drivers were reporting a loss of power as the motors were being starved of fuel, due to the gelling of the diesel.

Moran said the bus service was able to quickly respond with replacement buses or service vehicles to fix the buses with the greatest problems and in the end, there were only three late buses that morning. He said two buses were 15 minutes late for school while one was a half-hour late.

"We should have been fine," Moran explained of running the buses during these cold temperatures. "What we've been able to surmise from all this is that fuel No. 1 and biodiesel, mostly soy, doesn't sufficiently blend. ... When I look at our problems on Jan. 4, we had a 3 percent failure rate of our equipment. It's myself who takes the heat and the school district."

The Brainerd School District wasn't the only district that experienced stalled buses during the recent cold snap earlier this month. According to the Star Tribune, several Twin Cities schools also had problems with stalled buses and clogged filters due to gelling problems.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce temporarily suspended its 5 percent biodiesel requirement for No. 1 diesel fuel as of Jan. 15 due to the extreme cold temperatures that caused the gelling of biodiesel. The suspension lasts through March 31.

JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.