Biofuel Hazards

I've previously posted on the problems caused by rising corn prices as more and more acres of the stuff is diverted from food to fuel. Ethanol is not that easy to produce, doesn't have a good shelf life, and can only be transported fairly short distances before it breaks down. That transportation also poses some unique problems (from Special Report):

Recent reports have said that the use of ethanol may cause more harm than good to the environment — and now there is word that the transportation of ethanol also poses a real danger.

It turns out that ethanol fires are harder to put out than gasoline fires. Water cannot be used — and the foam that is sprayed on gasoline fires does not work on ethanol. Many fire departments do not have the ethanol foam — or have not been trained how to use the foam or approach the fires. The foam is 30-percent more expensive than the foam used on gasoline fires. Experts say wrecks involving cars and trucks are not the major concerns. But fires involving tankers transporting large amounts of ethanol can pose significant dangers.

I doubt if people are really thinking this biofuel thing through.