AMIDST THE RUINS BRADDOCK BLAZES THE BIOFUELS PATH
Braddock finds itself home to many new biofuels
projects including: Fossil Free Fuel, a vegetable oil fuel system
company, Braddock Biofuels CO-OP, a community scale biofuels cooperative
fueling station and a biofuels resource center.
The once flourishing Borough of
Braddock was home to 20,000 residents, movie theaters, breweries and
had a flourishing business district; that time however is long gone.
Braddock's existence now sits among ruins, home to only a small fraction
of its original population and its business district now defunct.
Not a pretty picture but the present image of Braddock is on its way
out. Braddock has begun its chrysalis; transforming from dwindling
municipality to once again flourishing community. Land-marking this
change began with the election of Mayor John Fetterman and his efforts
to revitalize the area. In addition to the influx of artists, urban
farmers and community organizers, Braddock has now become the regions
biofuels hotspot. Fossil Free Fuel is a noteworthy new presence revitalizing
the face of Braddock's historic business district.
Fossil Free Fuel designs and installs
fuel systems for vehicles (and equipment) with diesel engines to allow
them to operate on waste vegetable oil. Proprieted by Colin Huwyler
and David Rosenstraus, Fossil Free Fuel has been in business since
2003 in the Allentown area and recently relocated to Braddock. When
asked about Braddock Huwyler said, "It was difficult to uproot
the business and move across the state. However once we came and met
with John, toured the area with Nathaniel Doyno of Steel City Biofuels
(a biofuels education nonprofit) and spent some time in Braddock,
we knew what potential the area had. We knew we needed to be here
to help carve the new Braddock. As a society we need to transform
our current dependence on imported fossil fuels to locally produced
renewable fuels and I can't see a better place to begin that transition
than Braddock. It's pioneering a new vision of urban revitalization.
As a business we're working to establish a new vision of community,
and reshape the car culture perspective towards a path to a sustainable
future. Through biofuels, arts, sustainability, and community, Braddock
is becoming an example for neighborhoods everywhere."
Fossil Free Fuel will be opening
its doors May 1st at 223 Braddock Ave. The 9,000sf location will be
home to Fossil Free Fuel's operations which include a design studio
for system engineering and testing, fabrication shop for their custom
components, two full service automotive bays' for system installation
and vehicle maintenance as well as a retail storefront and customer
lounge. This location will also host partner projects including a
biofuels resource center with library, educational classroom and community
biofuels cooperative. Fossil Free Fuel hopes to partner with a local
university for biofuels research; plans are currently underway for
an onsite biofuels lab to monitor emissions, performance, and testing
of new biofuels technology.
