Beginning today, the West Chester Township man won't have to drive any farther than Mason to fill up with a special form of diesel fuel.

That's because soybean power is coming to Greater Cincinnati.

Biodiesel fuel, made from animal fat, soybean oil or used vegetable oil, will be available on the retail market in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky for the first time this week, when Milford-based Lykins Oil Co. begins selling the clean-burning, renewable fuel at six stores in the region.

The alternative fuel reduces the harmful chemicals in tailpipe exhaust by as much as 80 percent.

Because the fuel comes from recyclable materials, using biodiesel reduces the nation's dependence on imported oil.

"I have 5-gallon plastic containers, and I can fit eight of them in my trunk," Corbett said of the fuel runs he's been making for two years.

"The funny thing is (the Delaware station) was buying its biodiesel here in Cincinnati."

WHERE TO BUY

Six area stations will offer biodiesel beginning today: Southwest Ohio • Marathon, 6391 Reading Road, Mason. • Exxon, 1144 Ohio 131, Milford. • Shell, 1111 William C. Good Blvd., Franklin. Northern Kentucky • BP, 2144 Kilgore Place, Hebron. • BP, 2005 Patriot Way, Independence. • BP, 4618 Ky. 8, Cold Spring.

Biodiesel has been available to fleets and commercial users around Cincinnati for several years.

Cincinnati was one of four cities to participate in testing of biodiesel fuel in its buses in 1993 and 1994.

Metro buses were again fueled on biodiesel in 2001 after receiving a grant.

"Our buses reacted well, the engines were cleaner, emissions were reduced and they still had plenty of power," said Metro spokeswoman Sallie Hilvers.

"And the drivers liked it because it smelled like French fries."

But no one has been willing to put it on the market for individual users - until now.

Part of the reason is few diesel cars are being made for the U.S. market. Volkswagen had been the only automaker offering diesel cars in the United States, until Mercedes came out with a model this year. Jeep will introduce a diesel-fueled car in 2005.

Environmentalists hail the fuel because it contains no sulfur and substantially reduces cancer-causing hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and unburned metals called particulates in car exhaust.

Biodiesel works in any diesel engine. It typically is blended with regular diesel fuel. A 2 percent blend (B-2) will be sold in Greater Cincinnati. The most common blends come in mixtures of 2 percent, 5 percent and 20 percent.

Ned Ford, a Hyde Park environmentalist who is energy chair for the Ohio Sierra Club, said biodiesel is a valuable alternative fuel, even at the 2-percent blend.

"Two percent isn't nothing," Ford said. "It will have measurable improvements on air quality and some economic benefits."

Biodiesel costs more than standard diesel, usually by one penny per percent blended.

But Jeff Lykins, president of Lykins Oil, said the biodiesel in Greater Cincinnati will sell for the same price as regular diesel - which ranges from $2.09 to $2.23 around the region.

Rick Geise, director of marketing for Griffin Industries in Cold Spring, said his company has been manufacturing biodiesel for six years. Griffin will supply Lykins.

Geise sees huge potential growth in the market.

"There are 55 billion gallons of diesel consumed annually in this country," he said. "Anything we can do to extend the life of that finite resource is a good thing, especially when it gives us domestic economic development, reduces emissions and helps us breathe cleaner air."

Corbett became one of the converts to biodiesel after buying his daughter, Katelyn, a car before she went off to medical school in 2002.

"Today's diesels are leaps and bounds above the diesel cars most people remember," Corbett said.

E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com