Metro Biofuel opened a new bioheat and biodiesel distribution facility at Enterprise Park at Calverton on Wednesday, including a revitalized rail spur that will be used to transport fuel between Calverton and Brooklyn.
Metro officials, national biodiesel industry representatives and members of state and local government attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board, Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter, State Senator Ken LaValle, R-Port Jefferson, and former New York State Assemblyman Marc Alessi.
Walter, in an address to the crowd, pledged to attract more businesses to EPCAL.
"I plan to introduce in January of next year a plan that if you bring us a plan for EPCAL that meets our comprehensive plan, we will have it approved in 75 days," Walter said.
The supervisor said that he is working on developing a group now that would be in charge of getting these plans approved.
Walter also credited town councilman John Dunleavy with pushing for the use of biodiesel in Riverhead for years.
"Dunleavy wants the town to use biodiesel, and I think we will," Walter said, pledging to put the use of biodiesel in town trucks.
In his own address to the crowd, Dunleavy reiterated Walter's remarks.
"My heart is with biofuel," he said to great applause. "I've been trying for years to get the town trucks on biofuel. Let's get the trucks going and get our diesel trucks and equipment on biofuel."
Metro energy company supplies and delivers bioheat, biodiesel, heating fuel, ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, natural gas and gasoline throughout the New York metro area. The use of the rail spur at the new Calverton facility will transport in 100 rail trips what normally takes 2,500 trucks on the LIE.
"We are working to create a cleaner, greener Long Island and New York state," said Gene Pullo, President of Metro Terminals Corp. Pullo also said that the opening of the Metro plant in Calverton will create 60 direct "green collar" jobs between Calverton and Brooklyn as well as hundreds of indirect jobs.
Jim Jobe, of the National Biodiesel Board, praised Metro's efforts in Calverton and Brooklyn.
"New York is a leader not only in this country but the world," he said. "To have this vision, to show so much innovation, is very inspiring."
