Sustainability

Dumping Glycerine for Fun and for Profit

By Lindsay Vacek

More in the Summer 2008 issue

In September 2007, an anonymous call to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reported a sea of dead fish floating in Belle Fountain Ditch, a tributary to the waters of the state.

An emergency response team exploring the area discovered two agricultural field ditches covered with tire marks and smeared with a mucky, "pudding-like" combination of glycerine and dirt.

A drainage pipe spilled a milky white substance into the water, and the surface was littered with fish that gulped for breath.

Evidence indicates that National Biodiesel LLC, a 5 million gallon per year production facility, had been applying their glycerine to these two agricultural fields without proper permitting.

Their glycerine - which was heavily contaminated with methanol - had leached from the field into the waterway. The Department of Conservation reported that the contaminants killed 100,000 fish and other aquatic life and also wiped out an endangered species of mussels.

The incident echoes a smattering of cases across the country concerning illegal disposal of biodiesel byproducts.

The state of Iowa recently charged Cargill, Inc. $100,000 for discharging under-treated sludge and wash water into the Iowa Falls sewer system, and other companies have faced similar allegations.

But the problems have not been limited to large-scale producers. In one case, the DNR found oil patches covering a waterway alongside a public park. They attributed the ecological damage to a home-brewer who had washed residual WVO from storage containers into a storm drain near his garage.

In another incident, the DNR found that 300 to 400 gallons of biodiesel glycerine had been dumped into the sewer system of DeSoto, Missouri.

When the glycerine entered the city's wastewater treatment facility, it disturbed the biological activities used for purification. Methanol-contaminated water went through unfiltered and killed 4,000 fish in Joachim Creek, a tributary to the Mississippi River.

In the DeSoto case, there is no definite point of source, but Stuart Dean from the Missouri DNR said the evidence points to a home-brewer. He added that anything from a toilet to a manhole could have led the water to the treatment plant.

When improperly disposed of, biodiesel byproducts can pose a severe threat to the processes of natural ecosystems. Glycerine and vegetable oil are technically non-toxic, but they have a high biological oxygen demand (BOD) because of their rich organic content. In water, they absorb a tremendous amount of dissolved oxygen and can choke out aquatic life. Methanol can kill aquatic life and smother vegetation, and vegetable oils or animal fats take on petroleum-like characteristics when released into the environment.

The dumpings point in part to insufficient regulation among producers and a lack of education concerning byproduct disposal.

The corporations that have been charged are each members of the National Biodiesel Board, and one is BQ-9000 accredited.

Kevin Warden, who is the Public Works Director for the town of DeSoto, said that while he appreciated the efforts of the NBB to dialogue with the city after the incident, he felt the agency has minimized the environmental risks associated with glycerine disposal.

But NBB engineer Don Scott said the agency has taken these incidents very seriously. "The board thinks these mistakes are egregious and we're doing everything we can to not let that happen again," Scott said.

While the agency itself cannot enforce regulations, they say they are taking steps to increase awareness of proper disposal methods. The NBB also supports the actions of some states that are forming regulations to monitor the entire chain of production.

As the NBB has indicated, the dumping incidents are probably few in number. Still they have recently generated negative press, in particular from a New York Times article titled "Pollution is Called a Byproduct of a 'Clean' Fuel." Joe Jobe, the CEO of the NBB, issued a statement responding to the New York Times article:

"It is... irresponsible to use the actions of a few to cast doubt on an industry representing tens of thousands of hard working, conscientious people who are following the rules and benefiting the economy, the nation's fuel supply, and the environment," the statement said.

The looming question is why biodiesel producers have chosen to dump their byproducts illegally.

It is possible that some producers dump to avoid the financial cost of disposal. The price of crude glycerine has been especially volatile in the past year, leaving some producers scrambling to get rid of it.

At the same time, it does seem that most producers are currently able to sell their glycerine for profit. Scott said that an informal poll is leading him to believe that most producers are selling their glycerine, and other evidence indicates that the glycerine demand may be rising.

The largest burden likely falls on small producers like home-brewers. Producers with refineries can purify their glycerine into a financially valuable product, but refining is generally out of reach for smaller producers. In addition, glycerine is usually sold by the tanker load.

The NBB is advocating that dumpers be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and dumping can result in serious fines and criminal charges. If found guilty, the owner of National Biodiesel faces charges of up to one year in prison and $2,500 to $250,000 in fines. His corporation faces up to $500,000 in additional fines.

With no other party to take the blame, the city of De Soto received $2,891 in fines for the cost of remediating the effects of the fish kill. Warden said the fine was an unexpected blow for the city, and they are now closely monitoring the pH of water entering the treatment plant.

Home-brewers are largely exempt from state laws, but any producer planning to release their byproducts into the groundwater should first contact their local wastewater treatment facility or city council.

Regardless of each party's individual interests, it seems agreed that the biodiesel community should first focus on education to prevent such future recurrences.

Lindsay Vacek is a former Piedmont Biofuels intern.