URBANDALE, Iowa - The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) last week appointed nine members to its newly created Sustainability Task Force, charged to ensure the U.S. biodiesel industry continues to protect the environment. Among those named to the group is Victoria Carver, senior program and resource advisor with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA).

The Sustainability Task Force was appointed by NBB Governing Board Chairman Ed Hegland. “The members of this task force will lead the charge to develop industry-wide guidance to ensure the biodiesel industry does not harm or deplete our natural resources while it works to produce jobs and reduce dependence on foreign oil,” said Hegland.

According to Carver, her appointment to the Task Force is appropriate recognition of the work ISA has done for years, including the development of environmental management practices that address soil and energy conservation, water quality and pest and nutrient management. “ISA’s farmer directors had the foresight more than a decade ago to begin investing checkoff dollars and collaborating with environmental experts to prepare for this time when production agriculture would demand science-based, environmental performance methods,” Carver said.

“ISA has been rigorous and persistent in developing tools to incorporate locally collected data for use in improving sustainability,” she states. “We are committed to helping advance agriculture and specifically the biodiesel industry’s environmental and economic performance. When this task force was formed at NBB, we were ready to contribute with some practical, tested approaches so we have something to offer beyond theory. We also look forward to this task force providing a valuable opportunity for us to learn from other experts and innovators.””

The NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry and is the coordinating body for biodiesel research and development in the U.S. The Sustainability Task Force includes representatives of small and large biodiesel producers, distributors, various feedstock suppliers and farmers. E-mails announcing the opportunity to serve on the task force were sent to more than 10,000 stakeholders, and NBB received more than 200 pages of applications and nominations.