Waste vegetable oil has attracted attention in the last few years as a cleaner, less expensive alternative to fossil fuels for cars and trucks. In most countries including the United States, it is collected and refined into a biofuel for diesel or just straight use in vehicles. Some of the cities have converted their municipal vehicles over as to use this fuel.
But now the question a rises is it legal? The only problem with using the waste vegetable oil is that it is not an approved fuel by the EPA. It’s not exactly illegal – it won’t land you in jail, but it could get you fined. Other biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, are EPA-approved. They’ve been researched and tested heavily by the EPA and are regulated by the government like any other fuel source. In terms of EPA approval, this means that the ethanol or biodiesel you can buy from a commercial seller is in compliance with the Clean Air Act.
They say the reason you are not suppose to use the waste vegetable oil is that is has not been done long enough to tell if there will be any harm to the environment. And since people get it free from restaurants there is no way to know if it meets the specs of the clean air act which has strict rules as to how fuel is processed. People using waste vegetable oil are just storing it in their garage and filtering and filling up.
And what can the EPA do to you for running your car on what may be the most carbon-neutral fuel source in the whole wide world? It can fine you $32,500 per day. The EPA could also charge you an additional $2,750 for modifying a car to run on a non-EPA-approved fuel.
But I think the main thing is, it is an untaxed fuel. Right now, there is no infrastructure in place to charge tax on it. And in time when they can develop a way to regulate and tax, it will become as legal as diesel or gasoline in the EPA’s eyes.