Going Natural

CHRIS CARLSON

Beginning in January 2009, Brookhaven, N.Y., will require all haulers that service the town to operate trucks that run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

The town will have a CNG fueling station at its 1.25-acre waste management facility in Yaphank, N.Y. Kevin Malloy, communications director for the town, says the decision to switch to CNG was made because those trucks are more fuel-efficient, keeping the cost of the contracts with haulers as low as possible. In addition, “the trucks are quieter and are more environmentally friendly,” he says. Malloy adds that the price of CNG at the fueling station will be locked in for the next seven years. Clean Energy Fuels, Seal Beach, Calif., which signed a 10-year contract to build and operate the fueling station, will supply the fuel.

McNeilus Cos., Dodge Center, Minn., recently announced a contract to send 58 CNG-powered garbage trucks to 11 haulers in Brookhaven.

“We're very excited to have demonstrated the benefits of CNG and how that impacts both our environment and our customers' profitability in refuse collection,” said Mike Wuest, president of McNeilus, in a press release. “When you look at the cost of a barrel of oil in comparison to the cost of natural gas over time, it puts CNG-powered vehicles in a whole new light. If you add in the green component along with the tax benefits, then choosing CNG becomes even clearer.”

Brookhaven officials estimate that the switch to CNG during the first seven years will save the town 4.9 million gallons of imported diesel fuel, reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 304 tons and particulate matter by 12 tons, and reduce greenhouse gases by more than 20 percent.