LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 3, 2012) — Waste Management this week launched a new local fleet of 25 clean-burning CNG trucks and unveiled Louisville’s first public-access, 24-hour compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station.
The fleet is the first of its kind in Kentucky, replacing heavy-duty collection trucks with new state-of-the-art vehicles that run on CNG, a cleaner-burning alternative to conventional gasoline or diesel fuel. The new fueling station provides first-of-its-kind infrastructure in Louisville to serve commercial fleet managers and private individuals a ready supply of CNG fuel.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, along with other civic, community and sustainability leaders, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony and demonstration of the new facility at Waste Management’s 7501 Grade Lane location.
Waste Management is adding up to 25 CNG-powered collection vehicles in Louisville and will roll out additional CNG-powered collection vehicles in the area in the future. The public fueling station will refuel Waste Management’s local fleet as well as sell CNG to commercial fleets and 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 sustainability in this community by opening a public CNG station,” said Tim Wells, area vice president for Waste Management in Kentucky as well as Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. “We are dedicated to providing our greater Louisville area customers with outstanding service while doing business here in the most sustainable manner possible.”
CNG is one of the cleanest fuels currently available for use in heavy-duty trucks. Its use reduces particulate matter emissions to up to 86 percent, carbon monoxide emissions by 80 percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 32 percent, and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent. As an additional benefit, CNG offers cost savings compared to traditional fuels and runs quieter than diesel trucks.
A scarcity of CNG fueling stations limits broader use of CNG-powered vehicles. Waste Management collaborated with PetroCard to develop the first CNG fueling station in Louisville. The new Clean N’ Green Fuel facility, funded by Waste Management and PetroCard, makes CNG available to commercial fleets—transit agencies, school districts, taxis, cities and municipalities — as well as private individuals with CNG-equipped vehicles.
Add Comment