MEDFORD, NEW JERSEY
SCHOOL DISTRICT

In 1998 Joe Biluck took a leap of faith. After applying for and receiving a Department of Energy grant for alternative fuel, he filled a school bus with a blend of what was then a little-known fuel called biodiesel.

"I will admit, I was a little scared that first time," he said. But when you see an opportunity or a technology that has a lot of potential, and you've done your homework on it, you have to be willing to take a calculated risk for the greater good. Someone has to raise their hand, and why not Medford?"

In October 2008, the Medford Township School District in New Jersey hosted a commemorative event and educational session celebrating ten years of using B20, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel.

"We transport 3,500 students a day in our buses," said Biluck, Director of Operations and Technology for the Medford Township Board of Education. "This biodiesel program was started for them. It has been proven that biodiesel improves air quality both outside of the bus and in the interior."

According to Medford Township Public School System officials, over the past decade the district's school buses have: traveled more than 4 million miles; consumed more than 615,000 gallons of B20; displaced more than 123,000 gallons of diesel fuel; eliminated 127,000 pounds of hazardous emissions and 428 pounds of particulate matter; and reduced the overall cost of fleet operations by $80,000.

"We are helping with energy security by displacing hundreds of thousands of gallons of petroleum diesel fuel and have experienced significant cost savings through reduced maintenance costs in our bus fleet," said Biluck.

The district has been widely recognized for its pioneering efforts with biodiesel. The National Biodiesel Board awarded Biluck its annual Inspiration award in 2005 for all he has done to increase awareness and use of the cleaner burning fuel. The district also received two New Jersey Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards in 2007. Biluck was also named an Alternative Energy Pioneer by the DOE Clean Cities program.