City begins using low-emission diesel additive in fleet
10/19/2006
The City of Austin begins using a low-emission diesel fuel additive in its diesel vehicles this month that immediately reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 5 to 7 percent on every diesel powered vehicle from garbage trucks to backhoes.
“This is probably the most widespread, cost-efficient NOx reduction the City can do,” said Fred Blood, City of Austin Sustainability Officer. “It is going to make the work we do every day be cleaner.”
The City has more than 1,400 diesel vehicles in its fleet that consume about 2.2 million gallons of diesel fuel a year. This month the City began using ORYXE Energy’s low-emission diesel additive in the fleet. Numerous tests have shown that the additive reduces NOx, one of the largest contributors to ozone pollution in Central Texas.
“The many ozone action days we experienced this summer show why we must do everything we can to reduce NOx,” said Austin City Council Member Lee Leffingwell. “The City of Austin is always looking for innovations in technology, particularly when it helps protect the environment and the health of our citizens. This fuel additive is not only important to the Early Action Compact, but it also allows us to bring cleaner technology to Austin in a cost-effective way.”
The Early Action Compact is an agreement entered into by local governments in Central Texas with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to reduce emissions to comply with federal clean air standards.
Because fleet vehicles are used for several years, Blood said the additive is the most cost-effective initiative the City can undertake to reduce their emissions.
“There will be newer, cleaner vehicles available in the future,” said Blood. “But it takes 12 to 15 years to turn over half of a fleet. The diesel additive is something that we can do to immediately reduce emissions today and every day afterward that these vehicles are being used.”
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