[Cohoes, NY] -- June 14, 2007 --  Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. has announced another company initiative to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.  As of May 1, 2007, Mohawk’s fleet of five trucks has been converted over to a biodiesel fuel mix.

The clean burning alternative fuel is a diesel replacement fuel made from natural, renewable sources such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats.  The use of biodiesel in conventional diesel engines results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from petroleum diesel.  In addition, the biodiesel fuel mix used by Mohawk also reduces sulfur oxides and sulfates by approximately 20%.

“Biodiesel is made from domestic renewable resources, it is biodegradable, nontoxic, and can be used in all our diesel trucks with no modifications required.  The current cost of biodiesel fuel is about the same as petroleum diesel but the cost is expected to drop as production of biodiesel fuel increases.  Making the switch is one more step in Mohawk’s continuous effort to reduce its environmental impact,” said George Milner, Senior Vice President, Energy, Environmental and Government Affairs.

Mohawk’s current supplier is Troy, New York’s John Ray & Sons, one of the first retail distributors in New York State to offer biodiesel fuel.  Their current blend of fuel is a B20 mix which is a blend of 20% soybean oil and 80% traditional petrodiesel approved for use in diesel engines.  Biofuel content is typically 2%, 5%, or 20% of the blended fuel, with 20% being the maximum preferred ratio for colder climates.

Mohawk, a leader in environmental stewardship, has made significant investments to conserve energy and reduce fuel consumption.  The company voluntarily replaced the New York steam plants with low-emission natural gas-fired boilers, which immediately reduced fuel consumption by 14% and reduced combustion emissions by 43%.  Mohawk was the first U.S. mill to use emission-free wind-generated electricity to manufacture paper, and is a national leader in the use of wind energy, currently 100% of the electric power required for all of its New York and Ohio operations.  Mohawk is also the first U.S. mill to produce premium paper made carbon neutral.

To learn more about Mohawk’s environmental initiatives and biodiesel fuel:
www.mohawkpaper.com/carbonneutral
www.johnray.com/biodiesel.php