Stalled Minnesota school buses fuel biodiesel mandate debate

When low temps gelled fuel in school buses, some wondered if biodiesel contributed to the problem.

By PATRICE RELERFORD, Star Tribune

Last update: January 16, 2009 - 11:02 PM

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Extreme cold and biodiesel fuel don't mix, as school districts and truckers found during the recent cold snap.

Bloomington Public Schools closed Friday after biodiesel fuel required to be used under state law gelled in about a dozen school buses due to subzero temperatures. The problem left some students at bus stops on Thursday morning for as long as 30 minutes or sitting on stalled buses.

In the south metro area, the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District started school two hours late Friday after a similar problem with biodiesel fuel in about a dozen buses the day before.

"This is not a biodiesel problem; it's a diesel problem," said Bill Walsh, director of communications for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. "If there's cold weather like this again, it's going to affect trucks all over the state."

Much of the diesel fuel sold in Minnesota contains 2 percent biodiesel fuel, under legislation enacted in 2002 but that didn't essentially take effect until 2005 because of a production lag.

The requirement was adopted after a tough fight at the Legislature, with soybean farmers pushing for the mandate and trucking and other transportation industry groups in opposition, citing concerns about costs and performance of biodiesel.

The state has mandated the biodiesel blend increase to 5 percent starting this spring. Minnesota is one of three states, besides Oregon and Washington, that have biodiesel mandates.

Anoka-Hennepin, St. Paul and Minneapolis school districts -- the state's three largest school systems -- didn't report major problems with their buses but said it's not uncommon for fuel filter problems to arise in extreme cold based, in part, on fuel grade.

"We didn't have this problem due to a few reasons, but one of them is luck," said Joe Raasch, deputy chief of operations for St. Paul Public Schools. "In extreme weather like this, sometimes we'll keep buses running all night."

St. Paul schools officials said it's difficult to determine how much that costs because most of their bus services are contracted to independent companies such as First Student. During the winter, the company uses fuel specially made for severely cold weather, said First Student spokeswoman Nicole Jones. It costs 4 to 7 cents more per gallon but "it keeps our buses running," she said.

On Friday, the Minnesota Trucking Association said members were reporting an usually high amount of fuel filter plugging and urged fleet and truck drivers to arrange to have clogged fuel filters tested. The 700-member statewide trade group also urged members to refrain from blaming biodiesel because the problem has not been confirmed.

"It's a really confounding problem but if fuel were perfect it would still gel if it gets cold enough," said John Hausladen, president of the nonprofit trade association. "The problem with biodiesel is that it raises the temperature at which it does freeze."

Rick Kaufman, a Bloomington district spokesman, said transportation officials tested the buses again Friday and experienced similar problems. He said the buses in question are about 10 years old, have a rear engine, which sometimes experience problems during cold weather, and are stored outdoors. Bloomington expects to resume classes Tuesday, when the weather is expected to be warmer.

Staff writers Aimee Blanchette and Sarah Lemagie contributed to this report. Patrice Relerford • 612-673-4395

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