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First Earth friendly fuel station opensBy Doug Rich
The sound of traffic rumbling down 59 Highway was the perfect backdrop for the grand opening of the first Earth friendly fuel station in Kansas June 30. The Zarco 66 Earth Friendly Fuels Station, located at the corner of Ninth and Iowa streets in Lawrence, Kan., officially opened for business. On hand for the grand opening were U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 Administrator John Askew, U.S. Representative Dennis Moore, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky, and the Lawrence Mayor Mike Dever. "EPA is here today to celebrate the innovations and technology found at this station and the collaborative efforts that made it all happen," Askew said. "We intend to provide funding to evaluate the energy and pollution reduction benefits of this pilot project and help develop a framework for other fuel stations that wish to go green." Askew presented station owner Scott Zaremba with the Blue Skyways Collaborative Partnership Award. The Blue Skyways Collaborative is a voluntary, public/private network of individuals, businesses and communities that embraces partnerships and innovations and is voluntarily working to reduce pollution emissions beyond regulatory requirements. "We have been in the fuel business for 40 years," Zaremba said. "As the fuel prices have continued to rise, we wanted to find a way that we could help our environment and keep our fuel prices in check." Zaremba said he had help from several different groups to make his dream of an Earth friendly fuel station come true. This included the EPA, the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the City of Lawrence, the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas, Kansas Department of Revenue, the Kansas Corn and Soybean Commissions, and the Ethanol Promotion and Improvement Council. Congressman Dennis Moore said what this country needs is a comprehensive energy policy that will come at this issue from 30 to 40 different directions. Moore has challenged President Bush to appoint a task force to come up with a recommendation in six to seven months for such a plan. Referring to a speech made by former President Jimmy Carter, which called for a national energy plan, Moore said he wished had done this 30 years ago. "This is about the future of our world," Moore said. In addition to offering numerous blends of ethanol and biodiesel, this station will demonstrate zero net environmental impact by using energy production through solar and wind technologies. Roof and rain gardens will reduce the urban heat-island effect as well as filter pollutants and greenhouse gases from the air. In his remarks, Askew said during the retro-fit of the station the concrete from the old station was ground up and reused as backfill over the storage tanks, and all of the old metal rebar was recycled. Zaremba hopes to install wind turbines and solar panels in the coming days to provide power for the station. He is excited about a planned botanical garden on the back of the property. Adrian Polansky said fuel stations in Blue Rapids and Garden City are following Zaremba's example. "We think this is what needs to happen in our community, in our state, and in our world so that we have consistent, renewable sources of energy," Zaremba said. Doug Rich can be reached by calling 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 7/14/08 Date: 7/10/08
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