Pittsburgh to buy 4 natural gas garbage haulers

PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says the city plans to buy four garbage trucks that run on compressed natural gas to decrease pollution and save money.

The city has 80 garbage trucks that now run on 5-percent biodiesel. The city plans to convert four of those trucks to 100 percent biodiesel fuel in addition to the four new natural gas trucks that will cost a combined $1 million, or about the same as regular diesel trucks.

The city will pay half for the new trucks with the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority paying the rest. The city will fill up the trucks at EQT Corp.'s fueling station in the Strip District.

Ravenstahl says the trucks will save the city about $44,000 a year in fuel costs and will pollute less than diesel trucks.