USA: Waste Management Adds 1000th Natural Gas Truck to its Fleet

Waste Management  today added a 1000th natural gas truck to its fleet, making it the largest owner and operator of clean-running, heavy duty refuse trucks in North America.

At a ceremony at its Carson, Calif., property, the company commemorated the delivery of its 1000th natural gas vehicle with Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster starting up the new recycling truck that will serve his city’s residents.

“This is a special milestone in our journey to develop the cleanest fleet of heavy duty trucks in our industry,” said Duane Woods, senior vice president at Waste Management. “We are pleased that we have so many natural gas trucks now in service, particularly in Southern California where clean air is such a critical issue.”

The trucks Waste Management runs out of its Carson service yard – as well as a third of its California clean fleet — are powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) derived from the decomposition of organic waste in its Altamont Landfill in Livermore, Calif. Since November 2009, the landfill has been generating as much as 13,000 gallons of LNG per day, a virtually zero-carbon transportation fuel.

In just one year, Waste Management’s 1000 natural gas trucks will displace eight million gallons of petroleum and eliminate 45,100 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, while attending the opening of the Altamont LNG plant, stated, “I’m pleased to celebrate the opening of this new facility that’s quite literally turning trash into fuel, and helping us reach our environmental goals by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and creating a healthier atmosphere for all Californians.”

Waste Management also has CNG and LNG fueling stations at 17 of its facilities throughout North America with more under development. Woods added that the company hopes to develop a new landfill-gas-to-LNG facility at its Simi Valley, Calif., landfill.

Waste Management was the first solid waste company to join the California Climate Action Registry. In 2003, the company committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through increased recycling, the use of alternative transportation fuels, and the beneficial use of landfill gas. The natural gas fleet is part of the company’s environmental sustainability initiative to direct capital spending of up to $500 million per annum over a 10-year period to reduce its fleet emissions by 15 percent and increase the fuel efficiency of its fleet by 15 percent by 2020.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.

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Source:WM , July 13, 2011;