Cooking oil thefts cutting into biodiesel business
Story by KWCH-TV
5:31 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2008
"Business is good, business is very busy," Healy Biodiesel owner Ben Healy said.
Ben Healy says high fuel prices are helping his business.
Healy Biodiesel does just what the name says. It produces biodiesel out of restaurant grease through a chemical process.
Now thieves may have the same thing in mind
"Oil is really the life blood of our company and if we don't have oil, there's nothing for us to do here," Healy said. "Every gallon of oil that is stolen from us is a gallon of oil we can't sell."
But money isn't the only concern.
"These people are making messes at the restaurants, damaging equipment, spilling oil everywhere and the restaurants are getting upset," he said.
So Healy hopes police will soon catch the thieves for his business, the customers and the environment.
"It's nice to get alternative fuel out there that's clean burning and get...save a lot of people a lot of money in fuel costs."
Healy says, 90 percent of the grease can be turned into fuel.
That biodiesel is then sold for about 75 cents less a gallon than regular diesel.
Healy believes the average person wouldn't know what to do with the grease. But, he says you can find out online how to turn it into fuel.
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