Rhino
06-09-2008, 03:14 PM
Slick Florida thieves haul off grease
By Craig Pittman, Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, June 7, 2008
Some thieves steal money. Some steal jewels. But for an increasing number of thieves in Florida, grease is the word.
Yes, grease — that slick liquid that's left over after you fry a chicken or cook a burger.
"Florida has become a hotbed for grease theft," said Chris Griffin, who is in charge of legal affairs for Griffin Industries, one of the country's leading collectors of restaurant grease.
Restaurants — from the fanciest French bistro to the funkiest fast-food joint — save up their grease in big drums usually found in the back of their parking lot. Trucks from Griffin, a Kentucky-based company that operates in 21 states, and other reputable collectors come by regularly to collect it.
But lately the Griffin drivers are finding that thieves have gotten there first, draining the drums of their liquid gold.
The competition for Florida grease has become so heated that several grease collection companies are suing each other, claiming everything from theft to unfair competition. One company official from Boca Raton said he has bought $50,000 in surveillance equipment, including night-vision goggles, to try to stop all the stealing.
"I tell people every day, I'm in a war," said Pat Cassese, operations manager of Universal Grease.
How did grease get so hot? Blame it on the increase in gasoline prices.
Restaurant grease can be turned into biodiesel fuel, which produces far less air pollution than regular diesel. It has slowly gained in popularity as an alternative fuel for powering trucks, farm equipment, boats, anything with a diesel engine. Pinellas County's dump trucks burn biodiesel, as do fire trucks on Sanibel Island and military vehicles at Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle....http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/globalwarming/article611318.ece
By Craig Pittman, Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, June 7, 2008
Some thieves steal money. Some steal jewels. But for an increasing number of thieves in Florida, grease is the word.
Yes, grease — that slick liquid that's left over after you fry a chicken or cook a burger.
"Florida has become a hotbed for grease theft," said Chris Griffin, who is in charge of legal affairs for Griffin Industries, one of the country's leading collectors of restaurant grease.
Restaurants — from the fanciest French bistro to the funkiest fast-food joint — save up their grease in big drums usually found in the back of their parking lot. Trucks from Griffin, a Kentucky-based company that operates in 21 states, and other reputable collectors come by regularly to collect it.
But lately the Griffin drivers are finding that thieves have gotten there first, draining the drums of their liquid gold.
The competition for Florida grease has become so heated that several grease collection companies are suing each other, claiming everything from theft to unfair competition. One company official from Boca Raton said he has bought $50,000 in surveillance equipment, including night-vision goggles, to try to stop all the stealing.
"I tell people every day, I'm in a war," said Pat Cassese, operations manager of Universal Grease.
How did grease get so hot? Blame it on the increase in gasoline prices.
Restaurant grease can be turned into biodiesel fuel, which produces far less air pollution than regular diesel. It has slowly gained in popularity as an alternative fuel for powering trucks, farm equipment, boats, anything with a diesel engine. Pinellas County's dump trucks burn biodiesel, as do fire trucks on Sanibel Island and military vehicles at Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle....http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/globalwarming/article611318.ece