Maine Bill Calls for Less Sulfur in Heating Oil

Posted by Jared Killeen on December 9, 2009 at 2:12 pm

Maine legislators and park officials speaking about a proposal to reduce the sulfur content of heating fuels.(image: bangordailynews.com)

State legislators in Maine began discussing a new bill yesterday that would limit the amount of sulfur contained in residential and industrial heating fuel, the Bangor Daily News has reported. The bill, proposed by Senator Seth Goodall (D-Richmond), calls for a sulfur cap of 15 parts per million by 2018, a substantial (if not tremendous) reduction given that the average sulfur content of heating fuel is currently 2,000 to 3,000 parts per million. The lawmakers, who met with park officials in Maine’s Acadia National Park, hope that a sulfur cap will help preserve one of the state’s most precious natural resources: its clean air.

Maine’s tourist industry is predicated on blue skies and pristine views. But large amounts of sulfur, released into the atmosphere when heating oil is burned, threaten the purity of the environment. Thus, the new sulfur-cap bill is important to the future of Acadia Park, and many others in the state. “Air quality means a lot to our visitors,” Acadia’s superintendent, Sheridan Steele, said on Tuesday, noting that a clear view of the Cadillac Mountain summit is a big draw for millions of tourists each year. According to Stephanie Clement, conservation director for the advocacy group Friends of Acadia, “People come to Maine for its clean, natural environment. We want to make sure that continues for generations.”

Senator Goodall’s bill is in part a response to a recent federal mandate to reduce the pollution of national parks and wilderness areas. And while few people would argue that preserving such environs—and the tourist industry they support—is a bad idea, there are certain economic considerations to be made. While the Maine Energy Marketers Association (MEMA; formerly the Maine Oil Dealers Association) says it supports sulfur reduction in home heating fuel, it does harbor concerns that limiting sulfur content in industrial-grade fuel might increase the fuel’s cost. Industrial-grade heating oil has a higher sulfur content than heating oil used in homes, so it would be more costly to make it comply with the bill’s proposed sulfur cap. The association worries that increased costs will be passed on to Maine’s struggling paper mills, which at the moment can little afford a price hike.

Still, Jamie Py, president of (MEMA), had mostly positive things to say about the proposed bill. According to Py, sulfur reductions would benefit consumers and would have little impact on suppliers. The additional cost of producing low-sulfur home heating oil may amount to as little as one cent per gallon. Moreover, because low-sulfur fuel may be more efficient than current home-heating fuels, heating equipment could require less maintenance, which would save consumers money in the long run. In fact, MEMA is so confident in the salubrious effect of sulfur reduction that they have endorsed pushing the deadline forward to 2011, several years ahead of Goodall’s goal.

In recent months, MEMA has begun a rigorous campaign for cleaner, more efficient fuel. Last month, the group put its weight behind a state mandate to increase biofuel content in heating oil, making clear to consumers that they would not need to alter their home heating equipment in order to use low-percentage biofuel blends. In October, MEMA began offering help to consumers looking to explore their home energy options or conduct home energy audits. If MEMA’s efforts are successful, Mainers will benefit from cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient heating services.