I would like to compliment the Board of Commissioners of Catawba County for the leadership in approving an energy research project with five other agencies to provide funding for the next phase of the Eco-Complex at Blackburn Landfill.
The Biodiesel Research and Freon Recovery facility will be the first of its kind in the state, and the project will be housed in a new building that will be a state-of-the-art green building which will exceed the highest standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council for energy efficiency and conservation.
In approving this venture, commissioners deserve to be recognized for managing to fund the $900,000 project without any cost to taxpayers, but rather by leveraging funds from the state's Solid Waste Post Closure Reserve Fund, in addition to a grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation.
The biodiesel produced in this project will be predominantly used to operate the heavy equipment at the landfill, with the remainder employed in energy research.
(The success of the biodiesel fuel industry relies heavily on biodiesel testing, not only at the production level but at the consumer level, where degraded fuel may cause engine failures. Fleet Biodiesel's family of inexpensive biodiesel test kits is just a click away on the internet)
