Waste Management to roll out 35 new CNG-powered collection vehicles

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste Management to roll out 35 new CNG-powered collection vehicles

By Greentech Lead America: Waste Management, a provider
of integrated waste management services, announced plans to expand its fleet of
natural gas-powered collection vehicles in the Houston area and open a new
compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in Conroe.

Waste Management plans to roll out 35 new CNG-powered
collection vehicles in Houston’s north suburban communities by the end of
this year. The company currently operates 5 CNG-powered collection vehicles in
the area. 

The company estimates that the replacement of each
additional Class 8 diesel trucks with natural gas will reduce diesel use by an
average of 8,000 gallons per year and cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by an
average of 22 metric tons.

The new public fueling station will refuel Waste
Management’s local fleet and sell CNG to commercial fleets. Soon, it will also
open to retail consumers with CNG-equipped vehicles. 

“Since natural gas-powered collection trucks run
cleaner and quieter, we’ve made the commitment to use more in our local
operations and support them and our community by opening a public CNG
station,” said Don Smith, area vice president for Waste
Management’s Texas and Oklahoma region.

CNG is one of the cleanest fuels currently available
for use in heavy-duty trucks. Its use reduces carbon monoxide emissions by 75
percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 49 percent, and carbon dioxide
emissions by 25 percent. CNG also offers cost savings compared to traditional
fuels and runs 50 percent quieter than diesel trucks.

In 2007, the company set a goal of reducing fleet
emissions by 15 percent and increasing fuel efficiency by 15 percent by 2020.

“Waste Management already operates over 1400 CNG
vehicles, the largest fleet of CNG recycling and waste collection trucks
in North America. In 2012, natural gas vehicles will represent 80 percent
of our annual new truck purchases and continue for the next five years. We also
have 28 fueling stations in North America and plan to have 50 in
operations by the end of 2012,” said Eric Woods, vice president of
Fleet & Logistics, Waste Management.

Waste Management opens new CNG fueling facility at Illinois

Recently, Waste Management of Illinois opened its new
compressed natural gas fueling facility in Stickney, Ill. The facility will
fuel company’s recycling collection CNG trucks operating in Chicago
area. The Stickney facility is Waste Management’s second in the Chicago
area and it is the largest commercial CNG fueling facility in
Illinois. Its Wheeling CNG site opened last May to serve Chicago’s northern
suburbs.

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