Waste Management Unveils Plans for CNG Facility in Oceanside

Aug. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- By the fall of 2012, Oceanside residents can expect to breathe in cleaner air as Waste Management begins the process of replacing the existing fleet of 42 diesel-fueled collection trucks with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueled vehicles.  

Oceanside is on track to be the first coastal city in San Diego County to exclusively operate collection vehicles powered by CNG, an environmentally clean and economical alternative to diesel fuel. Oceanside’s CNG collection vehicles will be cleaner than diesel engines, reducing smog-causing constituents, as well as greenhouse gases. The emission reductions that will be achieved from the fleet of CNG trucks will be the equivalent of taking more than 3,100 cars off of Oceanside roadways every day. In addition to the environmental benefits, the CNG trucks will also be significantly quieter than standard diesel fleet vehicles.

“Oceanside has a longstanding reputation for environmental stewardship,” said Peter Weiss, Oceanside city manager. “We are pleased that Waste Management is adding this natural gas fleet and facility to the City’s green infrastructure.”  

Waste Management will integrate CNG equipment at its existing site located on the south side of Oceanside Boulevard. The upgrade will provide the infrastructure necessary to support the change from the current use of diesel fuel to CNG and will be consistent with existing zoning and land use regulations.  

The use of CNG trucks in Oceanside will be phased in starting next year with existing diesel trucks being replaced on a one for one basis. Waste Management will continue to provide service to the community as the facility upgrade and fleet conversion is implemented.  

“Oceanside is forward-thinking when it comes to being green and this is an important way we can help the city achieve their environmental goals,” said Ken Ryan, district manager of Coast Waste Management and Waste Management of North County. “A great deal of planning and community input has gone into the design of our upgraded facility.  The positive environmental benefits will be felt by generations of Oceanside residents to come.”

The replacement of the fleet and the upgrade of Waste Management’s existing facility are part of the company’s current contract with the City of Oceanside. The company recently submitted an application to the City for a Development Plan and Conditional Use Permit for enhancing the existing facility with the CNG infrastructure. This is being reviewed by staff and will be considered by the planning commission at a public hearing later this year.

Waste Management currently operates the largest fleet of heavy-duty natural gas trucks in all of North America. Approximately 80 percent of these natural gas trucks operate in Southern California including 121 natural gas powered trucks in San Diego County.

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit http://northcounty.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.