Hank Silverberg, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Kitchen grease from local restaurants is now a hot commodity. It is so hot, it’s now the target of thieves.

There have been a rash of thefts of trucks carrying kitchen grease. When they are hit by thieves, the trucks are on their way to a processing plant and used in animal feed or as bio-fuels.

There is now an effort to register all trucks carrying the grease to make it easier for the police to track them down, says Maryland Assistant Agriculture Secretary Pat McMillan.

“We’ve got a plant in Somerset, Maryland that uses this material to make bio- diesel and that new demand for it partly accounts for the fact that the commodity has taken on more value”, McMillan says.

“Anyone who is transporting waste kitchen grease is required to register, including providing the identifying information for all the vehicles that they use to pick up and transport the material,” he says.

Registering with the state means police and hazardous material crews will know right away if a truck is carrying grease and will be able to go after the crooks who may have stolen it or are carrying it illegally.

It will also help cleanup crews identify the grease if there’s a spill into a waterway, sewer system or on the road.

Violating the registration rules can lead to a fine of up to $10,000 or a year in prison.

The law setting up the program was approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 2011.

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