You want jobs? I’ll show you jobs.

President Barack Obama and Congress keep talking jobs, jobs, jobs; but elected leaders have failed to pick the low hanging fruit. Congress’ failure to extend the existing biodiesel tax incentive has placed 23,000 jobs at risk.

If Congress and the administration are serious about creating green jobs, the first immediate step they should take is to extend the biodiesel tax incentive as soon as possible. Expiration of the biodiesel tax incentive has devastated the green industry and left untold numbers without work. Biodiesel companies have been shedding employees, and this will continue unless Congress acts swiftly to reinstate this effective tax incentive.

SoyMor suspended operations and laid off 30 employees in March 2008 due to economic conditions. Without the biodiesel tax credit extension. SoyMor will be unable to resume operations and put these people back to work.

Biodiesel is a sustainable replacement for petroleum diesel. It’s made from excess oil, fats and waste greases. It cuts emissions, greenhouse gas, and exhaust. The biodiesel tax incentive makes the American-made fuel price competitive with heavily subsidized imported petroleum in the marketplace. The biodiesel industry is an infant industry that needs the support of the federal government to grow and sustain. Without this support, our industry may die and take with it tens of thousands of jobs!

If Congress and the administration truly want to protect and promote green job creation, they should act immediately to extend the biodiesel tax incentive.

Paul Mattson

operations manger

SoyMor Biodiesel LLC

Albert Lea