Three producers are now accredited under the industry's voluntary quality control program, with a handful of others in the process. Johann Haltermann Ltd. is the most recent company to join the ranks of biodiesel producers meeting the highest quality standards in the industry. The biodiesel producer in Houston, Texas, achieved its BQ-9000 accreditation under the National Biodiesel Accreditation Program-a cooperative and voluntary fuel quality program adopted by both the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the Biodiesel Association of Canada.

"The BQ-9000 program is designed to promote the commercial success of biodiesel and to provide consumers with the utmost confidence by recognizing biodiesel producers and marketers who demonstrate compliance with high-quality standards," said Leland Tong, chairman of the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC). "With such rapid industry growth, ensuring that only a quality product reaches every consumer is more critical than ever. The NBAC and NBB commend these three companies who first took the initiative to become BQ-9000 accredited."

BQ-9000 is a quality assurance program that includes auditing and procedures for fuel storage, handling and management aimed at ensuring fuel quality throughout the distribution system. The program creates a comprehensive quality system whereby fuel is consistently produced in accordance with ASTM D 6751 specifications and maintains its quality all the way to the customer's fuel tank.

"We have only been producing biodiesel for a year, and to be recognized as an accredited producer really speaks to our contract manufacturing capabilities and our commitment to quality," said Simon Upfill Brown, general manager of Dow Haltermann Custom Processing (DHCP), a Dow business unit comprised of operations within the Dow Chemical Company and Johann Haltermann Ltd.

Achieving BQ-9000 certification complements the ISO 9001:2000 certification previously received, said Russell Johnston, DHCP quality manager. "The value and versatility of the strong quality management system at DHCP shows our customers that all of our processes, including production processes, are driven toward continual improvement," Johnston said. "Minor enhancements to ISO 9001:2000 certification allows us to meet other quality standards that drive further improvement for specific projects."

Accreditation under the BQ-9000 program is open to all companies that produce, distribute or market biodiesel either in its pure form or for use in blending with petroleum diesel fuel in North America. There are two types of designation under the program: accredited producer and certified marketer.

Peter Cremer North America of Cincinnati, Ohio, and West Central of Ralston, Iowa, have also achieved this designation. More information on the BQ-9000 program is available at
www.BQ-9000.org.