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Rohit Aggarwala, Director
Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability
Mayor’s Office of Operations
253 Broadway
New York, NY 10007

Dear Mr. Aggarwala,

The New York City Council is currently considering legislation that would require heating oil include biodiesel. Bioheat proponents claim that substituting biodiesel for petroleum can reduce oil imports, improve air quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In reality, a biodiesel mandate will:

• increase heating oil costs by 15-30 cents a gallon,
• do little to improve air quality beyond what can be achieved with ULSD,
• encourage environmentally destructive farming practices,
• have no impact on foreign oil consumption,
• drive up food prices,
• devour millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies and;
• increase greenhouse gas emissions (see the latest report from Science, “Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt”, The New York Times coverage, “Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat”, and for more information visit www.habitatmap.org and download the fact sheet “Heating New York With Biodiesel, A Bad Idea”).

As the Director of Sustainability for the Mayor’s office, I am counting on you to work with the City Council to realize the Mayor’s PlaNYC proposal for a “greener, greater New York City” and biodiesel does not fit the bill.  Please work with City Council to adopt an ultra low sulfur diesel heating oil mandate that does not include biodiesel. ULSD will improve air quality in the city dramatically and reduce heating oil consumption without raising the cost of home heating or requiring government subsidies.

Sincerely,
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