The commission, which had previously stipulated that use of biodegradable hydraulic oil was compulsory for contractors’ harvesters and forwarders in its forests, said the costs of converting to biodegradable oil significantly outweighed the benefits.
It said the oil was about 150% more expensive than mineral equivalents.
“When weighing the significant cost and practical implications against risks and benefits, we concluded that the overall benefit from the use of biodegradable hydraulic oil is marginal,” said Doug Mitchell of the commision’s operational support unit.
The revised policy will come into force on June 1, but use of biodegradable chain oils will remain compulsory.
The Forestry Commission‘s own fleet of harvesters and forwarders have been using biodegradable oils since April 2006.
