URBANDALE, Iowa - Boone Community School District switched from using diesel to a B10 soy biodiesel blend in their buses in mid-September, 2005. Since the switch, both the bus drivers and the passengers have been enjoying the many positive features of soy biodiesel.

“The first thing I noticed was the smell, or lack of smell, I should say,” says Janet Willuweit, a Boone special education bus driver for nine years. “It doesn’t smell nearly as bad as the regular diesel fuel smells. When I am sitting in my bus behind a line of other buses, there aren’t those terrible fumes and I like that. Especially in the winter, there isn’t the strong diesel smell, it’s much different and much improved.”

The lack of odor is only one of the many advantages to using soy biodiesel. Soy biodiesel is made from soybeans, which means that it is not only a renewable fuel, but a fuel that is produced right here in Iowa. It is also less expensive. “We’ve been saving money at the pump by using B10,” says Mike Kennedy, Transportation Director for Boone Community School District.”

Boone Community School District has nine full-time bus drivers and 13 buses that are currently utilizing B10. The bus drivers have not had any fuel-related problems since switching to the soy biodiesel blend. “We haven’t seen a difference in engine performance and the mileage has stayed pretty much the same, it could even be a little better than it was,” says Kennedy. “We heard stories of all the things that could go wrong when you switch to biodiesel, but we haven’t had any problems, it’s working just as good as they [the Iowa Soybean Association] said it would.”

When asked if he would recommend a biodiesel blend to other bus or diesel fleet operations, Kennedy says, ”Yes. Because we’ve had no issues with it. It’s been a good experience. And because it’s so easy. It was really easy for us to just up and change from diesel fuel to B10. Actually, I am looking forward to using B20 and seeing the changes. If it’s been this good with B10, then I can only assume that B20 will be better.”

Kirk Leeds, Chief Executive Officer of the Iowa Soybean Association and a resident of Boone, expressed words of thanks to Mike and the school district. “The soybean farmers of Iowa appreciate the support and leadership shown by the Boone schools by their use of soy biodiesel. Like other schools across the state, they are seeing the benefits of burning this Iowa grown, Iowa produced renewable fuel.”