Local Garbage Hauler Converting It's Fleet To Clean-Burning Natural Gas

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for going several months without updating this blog. I know I've kind of neglected it, but it's been a rather hectic few months for me personally. But now that things have settled back down, it's time to kick this thing back in gear again, and what better way to start off than with this...

Yesterday, Friday July 11, 2014, I had the honor and privilege of being able to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony held by local, family-owned garbage hauler Basin Disposal of Pasco, WA to unveil their new garbage trucks that run on clean-burning Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as well as the accompanying on-site CNG fueling station.

Darrick Dietrich, owner of Basin Disposal, cuts the ribbon at yesterday's ceremony.
Behind him are the company's new CNG-fueled garbage trucks.

At the ceremony, Basin Disposal unveiled their very first, brand new, recently delivered CNG trucks - four residential garbage trucks, and two container delivery trucks. The company currently runs a fleet of over 70 trucks, and plans to replace the entire fleet, currently fueled by diesel, to CNG-powered trucks over the next few years. The switch to CNG provides many benefits, not only to Basin Disposal, but also to the public. CNG burns cleaner than diesel which reduces pollution caused by exhaust emissions. CNG prices are also lower and more stable than diesel prices, as CNG is a domestic fuel, not influenced by activity in the Middle East and other oil-producing countries. This means that customers can expect more stable garbage service rates well into the future. Another benefit is that CNG engines run significantly quieter than diesel engines. In fact, even when running at high RPM's, CNG engines aren't much louder than your personal car. No more being woken up before dawn by the garbage truck!

One of four of Basin Disposal's new CNG-powered residential garbage trucks.
It features a Heil DuraPack 7000 garbage collection body on a Peterbilt 320 cab and chassis,
powered by a Cummins natural gas engine.

Also at yesterday's ceremony, Basin Disposal unveiled their new on-site CNG fueling station, built by TruStar Energy, and fueled by Cascade Natural Gas. The system features TruStar Energy's portable gas compressors, which connect directly to a special gas line run directly to Basin Disposal's site by Cascade Natural Gas. Each compressor can fuel up to eight trucks. Using the portable compressors rather than a traditional brick-and-mortar fueling station allows for easy expansion of the fueling station as the company's natural gas fueling needs grow, and also allows for compressors to be transferred between the company's different locations as needed. Basin Disposal is the first company in Eastern Washington to adopt a CNG-powered fleet and the first company in Eastern Washington to operate a CNG fueling station. This is huge not only for Basin Disposal, but also for the Tri-Cities community, and the whole of Eastern Washington. The company also has plans to open a public quick-fill CNG fueling station at their site for other fleets as well as personal vehicles powered by CNG to fuel up, which should help to encourage others in this region to adopt CNG.

CNG fueling port. Each port has hook-ups for two CNG-powered trucks to refuel simultaneously.

It was truly amazing and I am honored to have been able to be there to watch such a great local family-owned company that's always been such an active part of this community make this huge step forward for this region, and to help pave the way for others in this community to take the same steps.

For more pictures from yesterday's ceremony, and of course of the new trucks, as well as some other trucks from Basin Disposal's fleet, click here!

As always, thanks for reading, and take care!

-Bryn