Dyed fuel is one of the perks of being a farmer in British Columbia. Cheaper than regular fuel, dyed gas and dyed diesel are only available to farmers who can prove that they own a viable agricultural operation.

To be eligible for the coloured fuel, farmers must have a Farm Vehicle Licence (AGR) and, when insuring a vehicle, are required to present their property tax notice to prove that their properties are assessed for farm use. Vehicles insured for farm use are issued special licence plate which bear the letter G.

Many Lower Mainland farmers drive to Washington state to buy hay, equipment and supplies. But if they use vehicles with dyed fuel, they are breaking the law.

Recently, an Aldergrove farmer wrote a letter to the editor of The Times relating how a trip across the border cost him a $1,000 fine.

B. Sacht said that after he cleared U.S. Customs on May 5, his vehicle was stopped and a sample taken from his fuel tank. He said he had filled up with dyed fuel and showed that he had all the necessary permits.

At the end of July, Sacht received a registered letter from the Washington State Department of Licensing informing him that he had been assessed a fine of $1,000 for violating rules for using dyed fuel.

Since he received the letter, Sacht has discovered that even the Langley-based Horse Council of B.C., and the Canada Border Services Agency, were unaware of Washington’s rules regarding dyed fuel.

Sacht’s letter has been e-mailed from farmer to farmer, a caller told The Times from his farm in Mission.

The farmer, who asked not to be named, said that most people in B.C. who have permits to buy dyed fuel are not aware that they are not allowed to drive farm vehicles across the border.

But the ruling is not a new one.

“It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle on a highway with dyed diesel in the tank,” said Brad Benfield, spokesman for the Washington state Department of Licensing.

He explained why: “Dyed diesel is a product that is sold tax free and it’s intended only for use in off-road vehicles like tractors and boats.”

The special fuel is also used in power tools and generators, he added.

“Here in Washington state any vehicle that is being used on our highways has to have clear diesel in their tanks which indicates that fuel tax has been paid for the product,” Benfield said.

He added that the law has been in effect for many years.

“I can’t think of a time period when it would have been otherwise,” Benfield said.

Meanwhile, a couple of farmers fueling up with pink gas at the Otter Co-op, where the fuel was 13 cents a litre cheaper than ordinary gas, were also unaware of Washington state’s rule.

A list of business and farms which have violated the law is listed on the Licensing Department’s web site, along with the amount of the fine.

Farmers, ranchers, greenhouse operators and market gardeners are eligible for the cheaper fuel.