People are telling me i need a permit to make biodiesel. anyone know what the law is? i cant find &*#$ on the itnernet about it, and i;ve already got my plant together. any sources at all?

 

It seems like I've seen a post or two about the possibility of a permit needed to store hazardous chemicals within city limits, but I don't know what city was being discussed or if there was any resoloution.

I can't imagine needing a permit to heat vegetable oil.

 

sure....might need it from the FDA.....I don'thonestly see why you would need a permit (pollutants?I think not) geez they sell the home making kits for it....

 

There are no Fed regulations yet on "home-brew" biodiesel, nor state that I can find.

You ARE required to pay all State and Federal road taxes, if you use it "on-road".

The problem is LOCAL authorities, they can REQUIRE you to follow any rules they set. Such as fire, storing of chemicals, quantities of chemicals, zoning, you name it, they will regulate it.......THEN THEY WILL TAX IT!!!

 

There are currently no laws that I know of restricting home brewers from making biodiesel.
In fact, there are some tax credits if you purchase the machinery and it has its own fueling station.
Some states also let you off the hook on the road taxes for a specified volume of fuel every 4 months or something like that.

The point is, the hobby we all have is actually encouraged.

The stories you hear about people getting busted are usually made up, or more commonly the result of an over zealous tax man.

To my knowledge, there is only one guy who's actually had to pay a real penalty and he was making thousands of gallons and selling it..

 

Selling BD will absolutely get you in trouble.

 

Don. wasn't there some mention that if you made less than .....for your personal use, you didn't have to pay taxes on it? Tom

 

I've heard it bantered around, but have been unable to find a definitive answer anywhere.

 

I looked up the laws in my town a while back when i was considering the whole BD thing. I do know that in Katy, you have to have a special permit to store more than ten gallons of methanol specified as race fuel I think. Most of the time if you let your local FD know that you are going to be dealing with explosive chemicals and stuff they can lead you in the direction needed for proper storage/permits etc. How do you go about paying the taxes for the fuel?

 

We all have those same laws but they are not stricktly enforced.

The farmer who rents my shop to me had a fire marshal come over one day to buy a car he was selling.. The guy saw my 10 drums of methanol and did make a comment to me.
I showed him the biodiesel setup and he made several comments about how I had things going.

All in all, he left telling me that I had things under control.. All my containers are properly labeled.. no smoking or open flame signs posted in the appropriate areas and methanol storage was over 200 feet from any building or combustable material. (other than the lawn)

 

Yeah, My garage is full of fire extinguishers as well, no one smokes around my place so i don't have non smoking signs. But all imcurrently storing is a 25 galln drum of pump diesel and a few gallons of two stroke gasoline.