Biodiesel Awards Thank Engineering, Trucking, Petroleum and Firefighting Champions
Fourth annual “Eye on Biodiesel” awards presented today

SAN ANTONIO– In addition to saving lives, two firefighters in San Francisco are doing their part to lead their fire department to save the environment. Brie Mathews and Mike Ferry approached the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) administration two years ago to start using a biodiesel blend of 20 percent (B20) in the fire vehicles. Today, the biodiesel industry thanked them, and other champions of the nation’s fastest growing alternative fuel, with awards at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo.

“As firefighters and paramedics, our fire department has done well to protect us from the obvious toxins we’re exposed to in fires and hazardous situations, but what I felt we are not so easily protected from are the toxic emissions we are exposed to in everyday fire and medical calls,” Mathews said. Mathews, a 13-year veteran firefighter and paramedic, said she got the idea when she began using biodiesel in her personal car.

“Using biodiesel gives us a glimpse of what I hope is a better future for everyone,” said Ferry, who is in his twelfth year on the department. “Not only does it offer health benefits to the 1600 members on our department, but we use 170,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year, and all San Francisco municipal fleets combined use over 6 million gallons annually. I am very proud of the role I've played in bettering our local environment through biodiesel’s decreased emissions. Biodiesel offers an alternative that so many people are seeking right now: a clean, safe, renewable fuel.” Ferry also represents the SFFD on the central working group exploring citywide use of B20 in San Francisco.

In front of 3,800 supporters at the 2007 conference in San Antonio, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) presented Mathews and Ferry with the “Inspiration Award.”

This marks the fourth year for the annual “Eye on Biodiesel” awards, designed to recognize individuals and groups who have advanced the board’s mission of public education and industry growth. The 2007 awards and winners are:

• Innovation – Gene Hemphill/New Holland Co., Manager North American Industry Affairs.
  New Holland in 2006 approved the use of 20 percent biodiesel (B20) in all of its equipment using New Holland engines. It is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to announce full support of B20 in all of the diesel engines that it produces. Hemphill is a big reason for New Holland’s support; he was advocating its use in their equipment almost a decade ago. Also, in 2003, New Holland was the first large farm equipment company to join the Biodiesel Alliance that connects the widespread support base for biodiesel. New Holland also awarded use of its tractors to the nation’s two top recruiters of the Biodiesel Alliance.
• Industry Partnership – Rod Lawrence/Magellan Midstream Partners LP, Manager of Quality and Analytical Services.
  Under Rod Lawrence’s direction, Magellan Analytical Laboratories has been closely involved in biodiesel testing and analytical method development for more than 15 years. Lawrence’s Magellan lab, then Williams Pipeline, was the first host of the biodiesel industry’s Technical Brainstorming Workshop a decade ago. Lawrence has played a leadership role in developing the industry’s BQ-9000 program, as well as the ASTM specifications. Lawrence and Magellan have given of their own resources, working with other petroleum and biodiesel companies to understand and help prevent quality control issues. Biodiesel blends are now available at nine Magellan terminals which handle over 600 million gallons of diesel fuel annually.
• Impact – Sprague Energy.
  A progressive Northeastern petroleum distributor has become the first petroleum company in the nation to earn the status of BQ-9000 “certified marketer.” The New Hampshire-based energy wholesaler also opened the first rack-blended biodiesel terminal in New York. The terminal stores and supplies 40,000 gallons of pure biodiesel for blending in over-the-road applications and #2 heating oil (Bioheat® heating oil) in several states.
• Inspiration - Brie Mathews and Mike Ferry/San Francisco Fire Department.
  The San Francisco Fire Department has been conducting a pilot program to use B20 in some of its fire trucks, engines and an ambulance, with plans to go department-wide. The program takes place in the southeastern section of San Francisco, an area that consistently experiences the city’s poorest air quality. Ferry’s and Mathew’s idea served as a springboard for expected citywide use of B20 by the end of 2007.
• Influencer – Bill and Cindy Mack.
  Bill and Cindy Mack, known and admired by U.S. truckers, have significantly increased the awareness of biodiesel in that large market. Bill Mack, XM Radio’s “Satellite Cowboy,” not only recently helped kick off the Biodiesel Hotline, 866-BIODIESEL, but he and Cindy have spoken about biodiesel on “Open Road” the past few years. “Truckers are committed to using biodiesel and we get a lot of calls from truckers looking for biodiesel on the road,” said Bill. “We want to do whatever we can to help them find biodiesel. We believe it is the right thing for America.” They often send listeners to NBB’s Web site, biodiesel.org, as well as to NBB’s “Biotrucker” information; and they have regularly spent entire shows discussing only biodiesel, often with guest Willie Nelson.

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