For more information
Contact Shelly Sindland
860-992-9045
shellysindland@ctema.com
FROM FRENCH FRIES TO FUEL: A NEW CONNECTICUT LAW IS DRAMATICALLY CUTTING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WHILE CHANGING THE WAY CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS HEAT THEIR HOMES!
PRESS ADVISORY:
Press conference Friday, June 30th at 11 a.m.
Vazzano’s Four Seasons Banquet Facility, 337 Kenyon Street, Stratford, CT
Used cooking oil collected from regional restaurants, colleges, universities, and even the Yard Goats’ Stadium in Hartford–is being turned into a renewable, green liquid fuel!
*GREAT visuals/b-roll! Get photos/video inside a food truck of french fries cooking in oil, and other foods. Also, a collection truck will be picking up used cooking oil at the banquet facility, and a home heating fuel truck will also be on scene!
• Did you know those hamburgers and french fries you’re eating for dinner tonight could one day help heat your home? It’s true! In fact, if you’re using home heating oil, this renewable, biodiesel-blend made from used cooking oil collected throughout the region, is already in your tank!
• A new state law is changing the way Connecticut residents heat their homes while at the same time, helping the environment.
What’s New:
• July first marks the one-year anniversary since Public Act No. 21-181 took effect. This state law requires home heating oil companies in Connecticut mix traditional ultra-low sulfur fuel with renewable biodiesel made from discarded restaurant grease and other food waste like soybean oil.
• Since the law went into effect, Connecticut has replaced more than 17 million gallons of home heating oil with renewable biodiesel.
• We estimate this has reduced 192,664 tons of CO2/carbon from the atmosphere which is the equivalent of removing the CO2 emissions of 38,000 cars per year.
• This is a conservative estimate using the 5% biodiesel blend currently required by law but many home heating oil companies are already using 20% biodiesel blends or higher.
• This is only the beginning. By 2035, home heating oil in Connecticut will be 50% biodiesel as required by state law.
Speakers:
1) State Representative Joseph P. Gresko (D-Stratford) and chairman of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environment Committee– a co-sponsor of the bill and its most zealous advocate.
2) Nicholas F. D’Addario, President of Hi-Ho Energy Services based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Nicholas is a fourth-generation member of the D’Addario family to run the company. He takes pride in helping to steer his company and industry to a much cleaner and more efficient product than it was even ten years ago.
3) Stephen H. Sack, Jr., owner of the West Hartford based Sack Energy, one of the largest biodiesel distributors in Southern New England. He is also a board member of Connecticut Energy Marketers Association (CEMA) which is a trade group that represents 600 family owned and operated home heating fuel companies in Connecticut.
4) Elias Petersen, on behalf of American GreenFuels LLC, located at the Port of New Haven and the largest biodiesel manufacturer on the East Coast. The company takes used cooking oil and grease collected from restaurants throughout the region and turns it into a safe, clean-burning diesel replacement that is reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, creating local jobs, while improving the environment.
5) John Vazzano, owner of Vazzano’s Four Seasons banquet facility in Stratford. He also owns several restaurants in Fairfield County and operates a half of dozen food trucks called “Vazzy’s Canteen.” All of his restaurants and food trucks recycle discarded cooking oil and grease for biodiesel.
6) Kurt Wiegand / Filta Environmental based in Monroe, CT.
This company collects the used cooking oil from restaurants throughout the greater CT area, the Bronx and Westchester County, and other places like the Hartford Yard Goats’ stadium, The Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, most colleges and universities in the state, and other mom-and-pop restaurants and diners in the region. He will also have a collection truck at the press conference and do demo for press.
photo/ b-roll opportunities:
•You will be able to shoot video and take photos inside one of Vazzano’s food trucks at the banquet hall and get french fries in deep fryer, food grilling, etc. We will also have a table set with food typically served at events at the banquet hall, and you may get shots of the dining area but there will not be an event going on at the time of the press conference.
•Also, Hi-Ho Energy will also have one of its trucks there that delivers this new biodiesel blended fuel. FYI, the brand name for this fuel is called Bioheat® fuel. You will see this on the truck.
• We will also have one of the used cooking oil collection trucks on scene for demo!