CNG cleans up Ogden

Ogden has added a new asset to its “going green” campaign. Recently the city of Ogden acquired 10 new garbage trucks that run on compressed natural gas, making Ogden the city with the most compressed natural gas vehicles in all of Utah. These vehicles were purchased through a $2 million lease/purchase agreement and the 10 trucks they are replacing will eventually be auctioned off.
It has been estimated that these 10 trucks alone will save the city approximately $89,000 a year at the current gasoline prices. Not only will they save money, but operating this alternate fuel will reduce vehicle emissions in the air.
“We have positioned Ogden as the world’s high-adventure recreation capital, and cleaner air is a vital element of that image,” Mayor Matthew Godfrey told The Standard Examiner. “With air quality a growing concern along the Wasatch Front, Ogden City is taking innovative strides to promote environmental initiatives that make a positive impact on air quality and the local environment.”
Having cleaner emissions is only one of the perks of the fueling system. Because compressed natural gas does not contain lead, it doesn’t damage spark plugs. Compressed natural gas vehicles also have increased life of oils and they are less likely to auto-ignite on hot surfaces.
Throughout Ogden these new trucks can be spotted, bearing large blue diamonds representing CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles all through North America. CNG is a fossil fuel that can be substituted for propane, diesel and gasoline and it burns cleaner.
“I can’t wait to see these new trucks around town,” said Marty Abbott, a Weber State University student. “It will remind me that Ogden really is trying to make a difference.”
Because of the use of CNG in the garbage trucks, a new filling station has been built at Ogden’s Public Works Building on 29th Street and Wall Avenue. The fueling for CNG vehicles at the station is very low pressure so it requires the trucks to be hooked up and left overnight.
“Eventually, a high-pressure pump will be installed, capable of filling CNG natural gas vehicles faster,” Richard Brookins, the city’s fleet and facilities manager, told The Standard Examiner.
A slight drawback to CNG vehicles is that because it is a compressed gas, it requires a larger space to store the fuel. The tanks for CNG vehicles usually take up more space in the trunk of a car or bed of a truck. However, the trash trucks that Ogden just received were factory-built with CNG tanks, eliminating the spatial problem.
“I think that Ogden’s ‘going green’ campaign is really great,” said Reagan Baker, a sophomore at WSU. “It really is going to portray Ogden well. The addition of these new garbage trucks is just the beginning of the changes the city could make. I think it’s exciting.”