College helping Meadville use biodiesel fuels

MEADVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A northwestern Pennsylvania city is collecting discarded cooking oil from Allegheny College for use in its vehicles.

An Allegheny College study found a couple years ago that about 60 local restaurants produced about 12,000 gallons of wasted cooking oil each year, enough to produce all the diesel fuel the city uses in its vehicles annually.

On Wednesday, the city began collecting used frying oil from the college, which is in Meadville, about 90 miles north of Pittsburgh. The city already has been collecting about 300 gallons a month from local restaurants.

City officials say it costs them about $1 less per gallon to produce biodiesel than it does to buy refined diesel fuel.