Slippery Crimes In North Carolina

The North Carolina General Assembly is in summer recess, but when it returns, it will get to debate grease. State Rep. John Torbett has sponsored a bill to crack down on the theft of used kitchen grease from restaurants. HB 512 would make it a felony to steal $1,000 or more of used cooking oils and grease and a misdemeanor for swiping less. It also would add new regulations for those who collect the oil and resell it.

Although theft—of grease, oil and any consumable good—is already considered a crime in the state, Rep. Torbett is concerned courts are not taking the theft of kitchen oil seriously enough. He told The Gazette he wants to “raise awareness” of thefts which have increased because high gasoline prices.

His bills would add regulations requiring grease collectors to be licensed and inspected by the state if they resell the product as fuel. The license application fee would double and anyone collecting the used grease to resell as fuel would have to show proof of at least $1 million general liability insurance.