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County Vehicles Rev Up With Recycled Cooking Oil

Pasco County photo

The Heritage Pines subdivision, off County Line Road in northwestern Pasco County, is among the first in the county to post a collection tank for residents to dispose of cooking oil. The cooking oil then is converted into fuel for county vehicles.

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: November 5, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - It's grease! It's fuel! No, it's both! Straight from the kitchens of area homes, recycled cooking oil is powering a few Pasco County vehicles.

"Cooking oil has been used in animal feed and in the manufacturing of cosmetics for decades," Farouk M. El-Shamy, environmental manager for Pasco County Utilities Services, explained.

"It can also be used as fuel," El-Shamy said of the alternative fuel source.

So the county hired a recycling company that converts it into biodiesel, El-Shamy reports. The Pinellas County firm shares about 20 percent of the fuel refined from the cooking oil with the county.

So far the county has enough biodiesel to power a large truck and a tractor.

"As the program grows and matures we will get more biodiesel and we can run more county vehicles on biodiesel," El-Shamy said. The three-year pilot program is just entering its second year, he said.

"This is the best way to manage our cooking oil," El-Shamy said. Otherwise the household grease might find its way down drains of kitchen sinks and then slow or even clog county sewers.

The county started with five of its own drop-off sites at which people can dispose of their household cooking oil free of charge.

The trend, however, is to place collection tanks in area subdivisions so residents can recycle their leftover cooking oil.

"We decided to go to the people instead of having the people come to us," El-Shamy said.

Heritage Pines, on County Line Road just south of Hernando County, was the first West Pasco subdivision to agree to set out one of the tanks near trash bins for the convenience of environmentally minded residents.

Lake Bernadette, a golf course community near Zephyrhills, is part of the program as well. The county is negotiating with two other subdivisions to set out disposal tanks.

"At the present time we generate about 100 to 150 gallons of cooking oil a month," El-Shamy remarked. "My goal far exceeds that, however."

Nationwide, 40 percent of the sewer clogs are attributed to fat, oil and grease, El-Shamy said. When oil is poured down a household drain, it jells and builds up around the interior of sewer pipes.

"Over time, grease builds up and blocks the entire pipe," El-Shamy said. "In this case sewage flows through the manhole covers into streets, homes, buildings, offices and businesses.

"This, not only has potential health risks, but also it has become a revenue drain on our county utilities in the form of infrastructure repairs and drain to your pocket book as well when you are affected. Somebody has to pay."

The three county disposal sites for cooking oil in West Pasco are:

•West Pasco Recycling Center, on Hays Road in the Spring Hill area. Open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

•Pasco County Facilities, 7220 Osteen Road, in the Port Richey area. Open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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