Missouri senators on Thursday, April 12, gave first-round approval to a biodiesel fuel mandate that is generally backed by the state’s agricultural community, which is supplying increasing amounts of corn and soybeans to new ethanol and biodiesel production plants popping up around the state.
An existing law will require most gasoline sold in Missouri to contain a 10 percent ethanol blend beginning next January, so long as the price of ethanol is not more expensive than regular gasoline. The bill by Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, would apply a similar 5 percent biodiesel mandate to Missouri-sold diesel fuel beginning in April 2009 — so long as its price is not more expensive than traditional diesel.
Not only would the biodiesel mandate benefit agriculture, but “this is something that’s good for the environment, and I think it’s going to be very good for the trucking industry,” Stouffer said.
