Posted on 04/22/2009 5:21:17 AM PDT by thackney
LONG BEACH, CALIF.: The city of Long Beach on Monday unveiled a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station for the city's growing feet of alternative fuel vehicles. The 32,000-gallon fueling station contains a two-week supply of LNG for the City's 79 LNG vehicles, including the only LNG-powered street-sweeping fleet in the United States.
"The city's long history with alternative vehicles and fuels has allowed it to become a leader among public agencies," Mayor Bob Foster said. "Creating a world-class green fleet is one of the many sustainable programs that the city has implemented. This LNG fueling station will save costs, and burns much cleaner than diesel fuel."
The city's Fleet Services and Environmental Services Bureaus and the Office of Sustainability hosted a ribbon-cutting event today at the LNG fueling station to kick off a full week of Earth Day events happening throughout the City of Long Beach. The city's fleet has been named the No. 1 Government Green Fleet in North America by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities Program.
The LNG fueling station will soon be publicly accessible for use by other LNG vehicles, and was partially funded by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).
"There are multiple benefits to using LNG, including a transition away from fossil fuels, a large reduction in the city's carbon footprint, cleaner air, lower asthma rates and meeting or exceeding regional, state and federal environmental regulations," said Long Beach City Council Member Tonia Reyes Uranga, who is also a member of the SCAQMD Governing Board. "Reduced petroleum use with increased use of alternative fuels like LNG, means a cleaner and healthier community for all."
By using LNG vehicles and retrofitting diesel vehicles with particulate traps, the city of Long Beach has removed more than 2.8 metric tons (3.1 tons) of particulate matter from the atmosphere.
Additionally, the conversion of a large portion of the city's solid waste fleet to LNG powered vehicles has reduced our carbon dioxide emissions by 19.54 metric tons (21.5 tons) per year, significantly reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
"Long Beach is the only city in the nation to use LNG street sweepers," said Diko Melkonian, superintendent of Operations, Environmental Services Bureau. "From LNG dump trucks to our one-of-a-kind LNG street sweepers, these environmentally friendly vehicles keep our city clean, and the LNG fueling station provides critical green infrastructure to keep our operations moving in the right direction."
Liquefied natural gas is a cleaner burning alternative to traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles with 60 percent to 90 percent less smog-producing pollutants and 30 percent to 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. By increasing the use of LNG by city and private vehicles, Long Beach is continuing its efforts to become a cleaner and more sustainable city.
The city of Long Beach works closely with the SCAQMD and the California Air Resources Board to reduce adverse impacts on air quality in the community. The introduction of this LNG fueling site, along with the myriad sustainability initiatives the city is implementing, are a significant step in reducing emissions and improving air quality throughout the region.
The city of Long Beach is also doing its part to increase our energy security; nearly 87 percent of the natural gas used in the United States is produced domestically, while more than 60 percent of the petroleum used in the country is imported.
“There are multiple benefits to using LNG, including a transition away from fossil fuels...”
Huh? Unless it’s being extracted from a rotting landfill, what sort of fuel is LNG?
SHhh...
don’t confuse them with actual information...
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