[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 161 (Monday, December 15, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMENDING RUDY GUNNERMAN OF RENO, NV

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                            HON. JIM GIBBONS

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Mr. Rudy Gunnerman 
for not only living the American dream and creating a future for 
himself and his family but also for working to create a better future 
for all Americans. Mr. Gunnerman's entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity 
have resulted in a scientific discovery to fight air pollution. This 
invention will not only assist communities across our country meet 
clean air standards, but also help them do so in a cost competitive 
manner. I am proud that he has chosen Reno, my hometown, to be his home 
and the corporate base of operation for the refinement and potential 
production of his invention--A-55 Clean Fuels.
  Rudy Gunnerman embodies the American dream. In 1949, he emigrated 
from Germany to the United States. Rudy was raised an orphan during 
World War II and arrived in America at the age of 21 with $20 and a 
single suitcase. His first months in America were spent painting 
houses. From this, he started a string of successful companies honing 
his entrepreneurial skills.
  Rudy's inventive mind was always at work, looking for ways to better 
our quality of life through science. His initial patent was in heat 
barrier materials. Rudy utilized his experience in the manufacture of 
pool toys and began working with lightweight and inexpensive cement-
like materials that under extreme conditions would reflect heat through 
oxidations. The Federal Government applied Rudy's technology for use in 
rocket engines liners and laser countermeasures. Rudy subsequently 
founded a company that began making fireproof doors out of the 
material.
  Rudy's big break came in the 1970's while living in Oregon when he 
noticed how the wood smoke choked beautiful valleys during the winter. 
In 1976, Rudy opened a small research and development company in 
Eugene, OR, to produce pelletized industrial boiler fuel from wood 
paste. The pellets burned hotter and cleaner than raw wood waste, and 
proved to be economical as well. Ultimately, Rudy's company sold 
licenses to some of world's largest corporations to produce pellets in 
several countries. Schools, hospitals, factories, and homes across the 
Pacific Northwest also switched to pellets.
  This was just the prelude. Rudy's most challenging and far-reaching 
invention brought him to Reno, NV. A-55 Clean Fuels is a water-based 
petroleum emulsion that 1 day may provide a cleaner, safer, and cheaper 
primary fuel with a full range of applications--from electricity 
production to mass transportation. The product is making a difference 
nationwide and internationally A-55 reduced harmful NOX 
emissions from 50 to 80 percent.
  For vehicle use, only a minor change in the injection system and an 
empty fuel tank would be necessary for conversion to A-55 use. A-55 
achieves nearly the same miles per gallon with no loss of engine 
performance. A-55 is safer than conventional petroleum fuels. It will 
not ignite outside the combustion chamber, and in fact, will often put 
out an open flame. Many alternative fuels in the past have also been 
prohibitively expensive compared to traditional fuels.This is not the 
case for A-55, which is cost competitive with diesel.
  With Clean Air Act standards imminent by 2004, A-55 could be the 
silver bullet to help communities cope with requirements and reduce air 
pollution without feared economic side effects. A-55 Clean Fuels looks 
like milk and could very well be the next natural for protecting our 
environment and promoting economic growth.
  Rudy Gunnerman should be applauded for his inventions and the 
opportunities they may 1 day provide for all of us to assist in the 
cleanup of air pollution across the country. Rudy Gunnerman's life is a 
shining example of the opportunities that America can offer and the 
contributions that one can give back to society through those very 
opportunities. With all this in mind, Mr. Speaker, I again commend 
Reno's own Rudy Gunnerman--entrepreneur, inventor, American.

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