Republic Services is literally in the business of cleaning up our environment. Now, even more of the vehicles the company uses to clean up local communities are cleaner themselves, thanks to Clean Transportation Funding from the MSRC.
Republic Services operates one of the largest private refuse and recycling fleets in the country. Committed to greening its fleet, last April the company began adding 226 CNG vehicles to 10 facilities in its Western region. In California, Republic's Allied Waste divisions in Gardena, Sun Valley, Anaheim, Long Beach, Pacheco, and Chula Vista all received vehicles. CNG trucks also will be delivered to Republic's fleets in Bellevue, Washington and Boise, Idaho.
Locally, Sun Valley's fleet recently added 37 new CNG refuse haulers to its existing seven natural gas vehicles, increasing the total CNG fleet to 44 trucks. Ninety CNG vehicles in total were added to the Southern California communities of Long Beach, Gardena and Anaheim.
The MSRC provided $1.28 million in Clean Transportation Funding to help Republic Services purchase 40 new CNG refuse trucks through the Solid Waste Collection Vehicle Natural Gas Engine Program. This program offered to co-fund the purchase of new, lower-emission refuse haulers equipped with natural gas engines certified at the California Air Resources Board's 2010 standards or to re-power existing natural gas solid waste trucks with these engines.
James Pledger, General Manager of the Sun Valley Division, believes the MSRC played a vital role in helping Republic Services transition some of its fleet. "The MSRC's funding is important to continue to encourage companies to move forward into the alternative fuel option," he said. "Republic Services has always been an industry leader in green initiatives, so we applied for MSRC funding to help make up the difference between the cost of the standard diesel trucks and these new lower emission CNG units."
The trucks funded by the MSRC service the greater Los Angeles area and operate primarily in the San Fernando Valley and in the cities of La Canada Flintridge, Santa Clarita, and Alhambra. The emissions reductions provided by these CNG refuse haulers are especially critical because the trucks drive in these neighborhoods every day. Just one clean-fuel refuse hauler can remove 400 pounds of pollution a year - that's 2.4 tons of emissions eliminated over a typical 12-year life span of a single truck.
"The drivers love these new trucks," replied Pledger. "They are very responsive and a lot quieter than the diesel vehicles."
Republic Services is investing in its natural gas future by building its own CNG station at the company's Sun Valley facility to support these new vehicles. The privately-funded station is expected to be open by mid-February. The company also will be constructing fueling stations in Gardena, Chula Vista and Bellevue, Washington.
The MSRC-funded refuse haulers help bring the total number of alternative fuel vehicles in Republic Services' fleet to more than 450 vehicles nationwide, enabling the company to further its commitment to building a cleaner fleet.
"Our goal is to continue replacing our fleet with alternative fuel vehicles at the end of their life span," commented Pledger. "We want to improve local air quality and do our part to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," he said.
