Biofuel’s a success. People are stealing grease!
Of course.
Caught with 2500 gallons of “hot” grease!
A few years ago, drums of used french fry grease were only of interest to a small network of underground biofuel brewers, who would use the slimy oil to power their souped-up antique Mercedes.
Now, restaurants from Berkeley, California, to Sedgwick, Kansas, are reporting thefts of old cooking oil worth thousands of dollars by rustlers who are refining it into barrels of biofuel in backyard stills.
“It’s like a war zone going on right now over grease,” said David Levenson, who owns a grease hauling business in San Francisco’s Mission District. “We’re seeing more and more people stealing grease because it lets them stay away from the pump, but it’s hurting our bottom line…”
Officials say oil rustlers typically siphon their supplies into drums of their own, which they take to backyard gins to be brewed for personal use.
The dude in the photo was caught with his tank truck on the way to a refinery that was paying him $1.35 a gallon, no questions asked.
I say string these rustlers up to the nearest live oak tree - or Exxon sign.
Posted: Thu - May 22, 2008 at 08:42 AM