First School District to Use Biodiesel Celebrates 10 Years on B20
Medford, N.J. School District's Biodiesel Use Opened Doors Nationwide

Medford, N.J. – Ten years ago, Joe Biluck took a leap of faith. After applying for and receiving a Department of Energy grant for alternative fuel, he filled a school bus with a blend of what was then a little-known fuel called biodiesel.

"I will admit, I was a little scared that first time," he said. "But when you see an opportunity or a technology that has a lot of potential, and you've done your homework on it, you have to be willing to take a calculated risk for the greater good. Someone has to raise their hand, and why not Medford?"

Today, the Medford Township School District in New Jersey hosted a commemorative event and educational session celebrating ten years of using B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel.

"We transport 3,500 students a day in our buses," said Biluck, Director of Operations and Technology for the Medford Township Board of Education. "This biodiesel program was started for them. It has been proven that biodiesel improves air quality both outside of the bus and in the interior."

According to Medford Township Public School System officials, over the past decade the district's school buses have traveled more than 4 million miles, consumed more than 615,000 gallons of B20, displaced more than 123,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and eliminated 127,000 pounds of hazardous emissions and 428 pounds of particulate matter while reducing the overall cost of fleet operations by $80,000 a year.

"Medford's public school district serves as a great example to other schools looking to use biodiesel," said Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board CEO. "Joe Biluck has been a tireless advocate for biodiesel use in school buses nationwide and we have been lucky to have his support. It has helped launch the use of biodiesel in an important and sensitive environment – the air around school children."

It is estimated that approximately 200 school districts in the U.S. now use biodiesel. Biluck points out to other fleet managers that there are many benefits.

"We are helping with energy security by displacing hundreds of thousands of gallons of petroleum diesel fuel and have experienced significant cost savings through reduced maintenance costs in our bus fleet," said Biluck.

The district has been widely recognized for its pioneering efforts with biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Board awarded Biluck its annual Inspiration award in 2005 for all he has done to increase awareness and use of the cleaner burning fuel. The district also received two New Jersey Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards in 2007. Biluck was also named an Alternative Energy Pioneer by the DOE Clean Cities program.

Today's event, featuring local and governmental dignitaries, was held at the Chairville Elementary School in Medford. Michael Frohlich, NBB's Washington DC Director of Communications, participated. Other notable participants included Medford's mayor, the EPA, New Jersey Clean Cities, soybean farmers and some of the school children themselves.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from plant oils, recycled restaurant grease or animal fats. It can be used in blends of up to 20 percent with no engine modifications necessary. A study by the U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture found that life cycle carbon dioxide is reduced by 78% with biodiesel, compared to regular diesel fuel.

The NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S.

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