By Bill Plunkett Yesterday at 3:06 p.m.

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Waste Management driver David Pallister operates a new CNG-powered truck to collect Deerfield recyclables.

They may look like the familiar green garbage trucks Deerfield residents are accustomed to seeing haul their recyclables and trash away, but they’re new and more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Beginning this month, Waste Management is deploying new collection vehicles for recycling and waste collection in the village that are fueled by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG). The deployment of CNG trucks in Deerfield is a requirement of the new residential contract with the Village and it is part of Waste Management’s move to a newer generation of vehicles that will reduce exhaust emissions and generate vehicle efficiencies.

Upgrading from diesel to compressed natural gas vehicles reduces smog-causing nitrogen oxides and diesel particulate matter by more than 90 percent and cuts greenhouse gases.

“When negotiating our new residential waste contract, it was important that we evaluate not only the service options itself but also the types of vehicles that are in town each week,” said Kent Street, Village Manager. “We required the deployment of CNG trucks in the new contract, a move that was endorsed by the Sustainability Commission. We are looking forward to seeing these new trucks operate in town and are happy to partner with Waste Management in our commitment to the environment.”

“Our municipal customers are asking us to come up with ways not only to collect their waste more efficiently, but to do so in a more environmentally sustainable way,” said Mike Brink, Waste Management municipal marketing representative in Deerfield. “As a company, we’ve made a commitment to evolve toward cleaner-fuel technologies.”

Brink said the trucks are expensive, costing about $330,000 apiece. “Our goal is to move to a CNG fleet over time in the Chicago area, which will take a number of years. Our first trucks are being deployed in the northern suburbs, including Deerfield.”

Waste Management has adopted several sustainability goals, two of which are to reduce emissions by 15 percent and increase fuel efficiency by 15 percent by the year 2020, Brink said. The new trucks will help the Company achieve that goal, he said. Waste Management will spend up to $500 million per year on its fleet and heavy equipment.

Waste Management has approximately 1,000 trucks in its North American fleet powered by CNG. It also has vehicles in California that are powered by gas drawn from decomposing waste in one of its landfills.

With CNG, the trucks leave a smaller carbon footprint. They deliver nearly zero air particulates and 23 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The engines run quieter than traditional diesel engines, reducing noise during collection operations on community streets. According to a Waste Management study in northern Illinois, the CNG-fueled truck typically was 12 to 16 percent quieter than standard diesel-powered collection vehicles.

Waste Management recently opened a CNG fueling facility at its depot in Wheeling. The facility is equipped with 40 filling bays. The site also has a fueling station for a select group of preapproved commercial and municipal customers.

Each CNG truck can carry about 50 gallons of fuel and travels about four to five miles per gallon. This capacity allows them to run 10 to 12 hours and complete a typical day’s waste or recycling collection route. They can carry about eight to 10 tons of material. The engines automatically shut off after five minutes of idling.

CNG is the gas used for cooking and heating homes, Brink said, adding that safety and worker training are important concerns.

The stations use “plug-in” hoses with automatic shutoffs for safety that connect to the trucks. Employees, including drivers, mechanics and supervisors, are trained in handling CNG and fueling vehicles safely. They undergo both classroom training and hands-on experience on the equipment. Employees receive training on the properties of CNG fuel, leak detection systems, and emergency procedures. The Wheeling facility is equipped with enhanced electrical systems as well as emergency ventilation systems in maintenance facilities.



Buck