A Missouri legislator has introduced a bill aimed at forcing a renewable-diesel plant in Carthage to shape up or shut down. one from iNewsday and the photo tactfully labeled “feedstock preparation,” at the plant’s website, and you’ll get the idea.

Many would argue, of course, that plenty of things in this world stink worse than the Carthage renewable-diesel plant. Buying our oil from the likes of Saudi Arabia, for example.

P.S.: The original headline on this was “>Missori biodiesel raises a stink,” but an anonymous reader pointed out: “That plant produces renewable diesel fuel, not biodiesel. There is a difference, and it is important to distinguish between the two.”

Indeed there is, and the distinction is well explained here by energy analyst Tom Konrad, discussing a 2007 announcement about a similar project uniting ConocoPhillips (COP) and Tyson (TSN)

COP claims its “>renewable diesel” is chemically equivalent to conventional diesel. If this is true, it’s quite possible that it has a lower cloud point than biodiesel, and so could be used at a broader range of temperatures. In addition, since COP is using conventional refining equipment, they may also be achieving higher energy yields.

Thanks, Anonymous. Love your limericks.

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