The City of Whiting has a powerful new tool in keeping a typically filthy job a little cleaner at least when it comes to the air.
Mayor Joe Stahura, along with South Shore Clean Cities co-founder Carl Lisek and BP Governmental Affairs Director Tom Keilman, unveiled the city’s new, $150,000 compressed natural gas garbage truck, one that burns clean diesel.
Part of the city’s fleet for a week now, even the men on the truck – no strangers to some of the city’s worst smells – are already thrilled with the new acquisition.
“Usually, you can’t tell the difference because (the workers) are used to the other older trucks, but they noticed (the cleaner diesel),” Stahura said.
The new truck was made possible after the city won a $42,000 BP Cleaner Air Through Diesel Emission Reductions (CADER) grant.
Whiting’s garbage truck is the second in Lake County, following the City of Hobart, Lisek said.
He said in the next few weeks, eight of Lake County’s hospitals will start using 15 ambulance anti-idling units.
Lisek credited BP Whiting refinery for providing the $450,000 worth of grant money, which was configured so Clean Cities could leverage other monies.
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“One of the things we like about this program is that BP is a big economic development group, so not only can we assist in economic development, but we can improve the environment as well,” Lisek said.
Lisek also praised Stahura for participating in the process of picking out the truck with Glenn Linhart, of Best Equipment of Indianapolis. The two put the project together.
“We brought one out here to make sure the cost of repair doesn’t supercede the cost of the truck,” Linhart said. “A lot of these older trucks, you start repairing them, and after a while, it becomes more expensive than the truck’s worth. Now, they have a new truck with a warranty.”
The garbage truck’s magic comes when its engine regenerates, or burns off the exhaust particles after 10 to 15 minutes of idling, Linhart said.
“There are no emissions on a CNG truck. That makes it a lot cleaner,” Linhart said.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.