For the Reporter
Auburn has a new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station.
Owners of CNG-equipped vehicles and commercial fleet drivers can fuel up at a new natural gas fueling station at Small & Sons Fueling Station, 325 C St.
Waste Management and Small & Sons own and operate the state’s newest CNG public fueling station.
Representatives from Waste Management, Small & Sons, and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency celebrated the grand opening with City officials Tuesday at the fueling station.
“Having a retail CNG station in our city, having them in other cities, I think is a very practical way to do business in our state,” Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis said. “I’d like to see more of these stations at strategic locations across the state.”
Lewis continued:
“Natural gas in the big trucks works very well,” he said. “It also works well in fleet vehicles. And we are going to start taking steps to ensure that we are buying CNG capable vehicles for the City of Auburn, for the future of Auburn and our citizens. With the supply of compressed natural gas that is available in our area and the cost, it’s something we should be looking for in a 21st century city.”
Lewis said the city was already exploring options for fleet vehicles with Kent-based World CNG, who convert vehicles to run on CNG.
The new Small & Sons public fueling station sells CNG to commercial fleets – transit agencies, school districts, taxis, cities and municipalities – as private individuals with CNG-equipped vehicles, at prices typically one-third below the cost of gasoline and diesel.
In addition to cost savings, CNG reduces particulate matter emissions by 94 percent, carbon monoxide emissions by 75 percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 49 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent. As an additional benefit, CNG trucks run quieter than diesel trucks.
“The benefits of using CNG are impressive, and that’s why Waste Management is transitioning our entire collection fleet of over 18,000 vehicles to natural gas,” Rob Sherman, area director of operations for Waste Management said. “We have over 300 of them here in the Pacific Northwest area. When you used compressed natural gas, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by over 21 percent over using standard diesel. Every collection truck that is transitioned eliminates the use of 8,000 gallons of diesel per year. And you know what, not only is the air cleaner, the CNG vehicles are quieter than traditional vehicles, resulting in less noise in your neighborhood and your business districts.”
Customers may use cash or a CFN Fleetwide Fueling Card, which can be obtained by application. The CFN fueling card may be used 24/7. Cash is accepted during hours when the facility is manned – 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday; 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Plans are also in the works to equip the pumps with credit card pay stations.
“The best part about this CNG facility is now all vehicles in Auburn and across the region can enjoy the benefits of CNG,” Sherman said. “That’s cleaner air, quieter streets and a more sustainable planet.”
====
LINKS:
