Waste Management, Fort Worth's residential waste hauler, on Thursday officially opened a new natural gas fueling station for its trucks that serve customers in the region.
The center, at 5012 MLK Freeway in southeast Fort Worth, supports the 125 trucks that serve Waste Management customers in Fort Worth, Cedar Hill and other cities. Waste Management has been moving its national fleet to natural gas from diesel; in Fort Worth, that transition began in 2013. Now, every Waste Management truck in the region is powered by natural gas.
“Natural gas trucks are good for our customers, good for the community, good for the environment and good for our business,” Don Smith, Waste Management's Texas/Oklahoma area vice president, said.
Before the new center, which began operations in December, Waste Management had been sending its new natural gas-powered trucks to public stations.
For every diesel truck replaced with natural gas, Waste Management estimates it reduces its use of diesel fuel by an average 8,000 gallons per year, and pares greenhouse gas emissions by 14 metric tons per year, or the equivalent of a 15 percent emissions reduction per truck.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and City Council member Gyna Bivens helped cut the ribbon on the center.