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Dear Summer,
Welcome to the Georgia Conservation Voters
Legislative Newsletter. This letter will be
circulated frequently during the 2006 legislative
session in efforts to keep you abreast on issues of
particular interest to you
on environmental legislation.
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Biofuels Bills on the Move
SB 636 and HB 1018
A handful of legislation has been offered this
session regarding biofuels, biomass, and biodiesel.
Though some of the bill have fallen short of their
initial goals, a large number of
legislators are interested in pursuing these
renewable and clean energy initiatives. Two
biofuels bills in particular have worked their way
through the General Assembly, HB 1018 and SB 636.
House Bill 1018, introduced the first week of the
session by Rep. Lewis, provides for a sales tax
exemption on the sale or use of biomass material
utilized in the production of electrical power or
the coproduction or cogeneration of electrical steam
power which is then sold. House Bill 1018
passed the Senate on Wednesday, March 22nd.
Senate
Bill 636, which passed the House today, was
introduced by Senator Bulloch. This bill defines the
term ‘biodiesel fuel’ as a fuel comprised of
mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived
from vegetable oils or animal fats and meeting the
requirements of American Society of Testing and
Materials standard D 6751. Further, the bill makes
it unlawful for any person to produce or sell any
biodiesel fuel to be blended with petroleum diesel
fuel for use in diesel engines unless the biodiesel
fuel meets the specifications of American Society
for Testing and Materials Standard D 6751. The bill
passed with an amendment to add language from a
previous bill, HB 983, on MTBE. This bill
prohibited the manufacturing, blending, or storing
any gasoline containing methyl tertiary-butyl ether
(MTBE) and the sale or distribution of any gasoline
containing more than one-half of 1% MTBE by volume.
Although it passed the House unanimously this
session, it ran into trouble in the Senate. The
language from HB 983 was therefore added to the
version of SB 636 that passed out of the House
165-0. It is important to note that while we
support the salvaging of the MTBE bill, it does
jeopardize SB 636, which now has to pass a
conference committee.
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Georgia Conservation Voters (GCV) is a non-partisan
citizens' organization dedicated to protecting
Georgia's environment and the health of all
Georgians by advocating in the legislature and in
the media for strong environmental protections;
helping to elect conservation-minded leaders to
Georgia's General Assembly and selected local races;
and by holding our elected officials accountable for
how well they worked to protect and restore
Georgia's environment.
Sincerely,
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