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Officials want city to buy green trash trucks [El Paso Times, Texas](El Paso Times (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jun. 22--EL PASO -- Sun Metro started converting its buses to run on natural gas in the mid-1990s and completed the process last year. Now the city is looking into using compressed natural gas to power its garbage trucks. The City Council on Tuesday will be asked to spend $1.8 million to purchase eight side-loading garbage trucks that would be used for residential service. One of the new trucks would be powered by compressed natural gas as a pilot program, said Kurt Fenstermacher, assistant director of the city Environmental Services Department. Compressed natural gas is more environmentally friendly than diesel and cuts down on emissions, he said. "We're dependent on foreign oil, and there's compressed natural gas here in Texas we can tap into," Fenstermacher said. "The other thing is the environmental side. Compressed natural gas is cleaner than diesel." The other seven trucks would run on diesel. All eight would replace aging vehicles and would be paid for through monthly garbage fees, not general city tax dollars, Fenstermacher said. The city plans to test out the natural-gas garbage truck in all parts of the city to see how it performs, he said. "It's a large departure, going from diesel to compressed natural gas," Fenstermacher said. "We want to make sure it's the right fit for the city." The purchase will be done through a split contract that would be awarded to Chastang's Bayou City Autocar in Houston and McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing in Minnesota. Sun Metro runs all of its buses on either compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas, city spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta said. "Natural gas is relatively low cost, and it's a cleaner-burning fuel," she said. A study done by the California Energy Commission showed that natural gas-powered vehicles reduce ozone-forming emissions by about 80 percent compared with gasoline vehicles, Cruz-Acosta said. "We've had great success with natural gas buses," she said. "Any effort to help improve our community's environment and the impact on our air quality is a smart move." West-Central city Rep. Susie Byrd says the city's goal is to eventually convert all of its large vehicles to use some form of alternative fuel. "I want to understand if that's our goal, is this getting us there?" Byrd said. "I need more information on the rationale on buying just one." The City Council is also being asked to approve a $2.6 million contract for Tri-State Electric of El Paso to install conduit and fiber optic cable along city streets to connect City Hall with outlying city facilities. This is the second phase of the project. This part would connect the central police headquarters, the Municipal Service Center on the West Side, the Five Points Sun Metro terminal, the airport and the Fire Department headquarters to City Hall via fiber optic cable, assistant city engineer Ted Marquez said. The project would be paid for with certificates of obligation -- a method the city uses to borrow money to finance projects -- that were issued in 2006. David Burge may be reached at [email protected];546-6126. Make plans --The City Council will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in council chambers, second floor of City Hall, 2 Civic Center Plaza. --The meeting will be broadcast live on cable Channel 15 and rebroadcast at 6 p.m. Tuesday and noon Sunday. --Visit www.elpasotexas.gov to view the agenda and download a copy. |