Indian-owned casino is first to implement its own biodiesel technology
by Fresh EnergyWhat would you do with 3,000 gallons of waste vegetable oil every month? If you were thinking like a casino—in particular, like the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Akwesasne Mohawk Casino—you’d take that oil and turn it into energy.
The casino’s restaurants used vegetable oil will soon be converted into biodiesel and used to run the tribe’s maintenance vehicles. A feasibility study by students at Clarkson University concluded the tribe could benefit from the used oil. As can the environment: using the discarded oil will help the community reduce its use of fossil fuels.
Implementing the biodiesel project will cost roughly $8,000 and will be funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Laura Weber, director of solid waste management for the tribe, finds this idea not only economically feasible but also in line with the tribe’s other environmentally minded projects like its fluorescent light exchange program.
While the Mohawk biodiesel operation will be small in comparison with other plants, it’s a step in the right direction. This is a great example of how tribal governments are meeting their own energy needs.
