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By-products of the biodiesel production process from Imperium Renewables’s Grays Harbor, WA refinery are going into some countertops.

This story in the Grays Harbor (WA) The Daily World says Paneltech International is using recycled paper with some kind of resin product from Imperium:

Paneltech president Roy Nott said the goal is to create a petroleum-free resin to produce its countertops and other materials.

Martin Tobias, Imperium’s chief executive officer, said he was “pleased that we have a way to put our process byproducts to good use — especially with a company that shares our ideals and is building products that are environmentally friendly.”

Both Imperium and Paneltech are part of the Grays Harbor sustainability plan.

Maryland’s State Highway Administration will be moving those white snowdrifts off the gray concrete of the state’s roads running on the green fuel of biodiesel.

This story on the Examiner.com web site says it’s part of the state’s annual gearing up for winter:

SHA’s fleet will use biodiesel fuel in all its trucks this year. Each tank will contain 5 percent of the mostly soybean-oil fuel, and officials hope to have a 20 percent concentration in the coming years.

Forecasters say this winter shouldn’t be too bad. Of course, you KNOW what that means… lots of snow. At least you can count on the biodiesel.

Farm implement maker New Holland announced today that it supports the use of 100 percent biodiesel in all equipment with New Holland-manufactured diesel engines. That would include electronic injection engines with common rail technology.

This press release from the company says it will help give customers a wider choice of equipment that uses the green fuel:

Overall, nearly 80% of New Holland-branded products with diesel engines are now available to operate on B100 biodiesel. New Holland has also asked other suppliers of diesel engines used in New Holland-branded products to test and approve higher levels of biodiesel.

Paul Trella, New Holland Director of Product Marketing for Under-100 HP Tractors, said that by supporting B100 use, New Holland is making a leap forward in its commitment to renewable energy. “We are committed to providing equipment that is compliant with biodiesel use, and to providing top-rate biodiesel support for our customers. As the use of biodiesel continues to gain greater acceptance and the infrastructure for providing a quality product to consumers, New Holland equipment is ready,” Trella said.

Company officials do stress that quality biodiesel from reputable dealers needs to be used in its equipment.

Congress’s override of President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which authorizes much-needed improvements to waterways that are vital to the transport of U.S. soybeans, has gained the praise of at least one growers group of the biodiesel feedstock.

The Missouri Soybean Association (MSA) is applauding the House of Representatives’ 361-54 override vote and the Senate’s 79-14 vote:

“We are truly pleased to see such overwhelming support from Congress on this critical piece of legislation,” says MSA President Greg Sharpe, a soybean farmer from Ewing, Mo. “The WRDA provides much needed relief to the river transportation infrastructure that soybean farmers depend upon to transport grains. We’d like to specially thank Senator Kit Bond who has provided relentless support and leadership to modernize our river systems’ locks and dams.”

“This long overdue bill will do wonders to revitalize river transportation,” says Dale R. Ludwig, executive director/CEO of the MSA. “More than 50 percent of U.S. locks and dams have aged beyond their life cycle and many are crumbling. In addition, many are unable to handle today’s barges because they are twice as long as when the system was built in the 1930s. When barges must be split, costly delays occur.”

MSA points out that more than three-quarters of U.S. soybean exports move to world ports through the Upper Mississippi and Illinois river systems. WRDA legislation will authorize funding for construction of seven new locks and other critical improvements on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

A biodiesel plant in Alberta is the beneficiary of a $600,000+ contribution from the federal Canadian government, that goes along with $275,000 in direct equity investment from farmers.

The money is going to help Western Biodiesel Inc. build a plant near Aldersyde, Alberta that will crank out about five million gallons of biodiesel a year. This story from Marketwire.com says it’s part of the Canadian government’s ecoAgriculture Biofuels Capital (ecoABC) initiative:

“This announcement is another example of our government’s commitment to deliver results to the agricultural community as well as taking tangible action for our environment,” said Parliamentary Secretary (Ted) Menzies. “With this ecoABC initiative, this new state-of-the-art biodiesel plant in Aldersyde will benefit farm families, and also help strengthen the local community and our agriculture sector.”

“Through the federal ecoABC program, Western Biodiesel Inc. has been able to leverage farmers’ investment almost three times,” said Dean Cockshutt, Chief Executive Officer of Western Biodiesel Inc. “This financial support will help create another significant increment of Canada’s biofuels production capacity.”

The plant will use canola oil and rendered beef tallow as a feedstock.