California Regulators Halt Alameda Station's Sale of Biodiesel

ALAMEDA, CA --- A California state board has stopped a local Safeway gas station from offering biodiesel fuel, citing problems with the station's fuel storage tanks, the Mercury News reported. 

The State Water Resources Control Board wrote local regulatory agencies in February, warning them that the practice of using diesel tanks to store biodiesel blends isn't legal. Instead, gas stations must use tanks that are certified specifically for biodiesel blends.

However, those certification standards, expected to be designed by the Underwriters Laboratory, have not been written and finalized yet.

The dilemma is further complicated because Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that sought to create temporary standards and allowed a three-year grace period on the tanks while permanent ones were created.

Water board spokesman Dave Clegern told the Mercury News that the agency is working on the biodiesel storage issue, and guidance should be available by the end of this year. In his veto message, Schwarzenegger directed the agency to take such action.

When storage standards are set and met, Alameda officials will be able to use the biodiesel fuels to power city vehicles.