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The goal is to have bio-fuel capability (E-85 or bio-diesel) in 75
percent of its fleet in five years. There is no additional cost to
purchase an E-85 vehicle versus a vehicle that cannot take the fuel.“
The money
from the Gila River Indian Community moved our plans up by four or
five years – we’re now a leader among municipalities in bio-fuel
capability,” said city Fleet Manager Warren Laing, who has made a
priority of expanding the use of bio-fuel in city vehicles.
Vehicles that burn E-85 get fewer miles per gallon, but the mixture is
cheaper than standard petroleum gasoline, so the per-mile cost of
fueling the vehicle is similar.
And
E-85 is manufactured in Arizona. The ethanol is produced by Pinal
Energy in Casa Grande and shipped to a facility in Phoenix that blends
it with gasoline to create E-85. The new tank will permit drivers of
the city’s flex-fuel vehicles to fill their tanks at the MOC, located
at the southwest corner of 79th and Olive avenues.
Adding
ethanol capability to the city’s fleet will have an annual
greenhouse-gas impact equal to removing 13 vehicles from the road. In
the course of a year, a vehicle burning E-85 uses about one-third the
petroleum products and produces 20 percent fewer greenhouse gases
(including carbon dioxide and methane) than the same vehicle burning
standard gasoline, according to the federal Environmental Protection
Agency.
In fall
2005, Peoria introduced bio-diesel to its fleet, mostly for large
equipment used in road construction and solid-waste collection. That
displaced about 3,000 barrels of foreign oil annually in favor of a
domestically produced bio-fuel. Laing estimates that adding the E-85
capability will displace an additional 1,000 barrels of foreign oil
per year – a number that will rise as new, ethanol-capable machines
replace older vehicles over time.
“In the
past few years, Peoria has come a long way in doing our part to
improve the Valley’s air quality,” Laing said. “It’s not a panacea,
but it’s a start.”
Peoria
has adopted other environmentally friendly practices as well. City
mechanics recycle used antifreeze, hydraulic fluid and motor oil. High-efficiency
lighting and water-saving devices are installed in city buildings
where automated climate-control systems adjust the heating or air
conditioning depending upon whether a room is in use. And each
employee work station is equipped with a small recycling bin.
In the
community, Peoria’s Solid Waste Division made a big splash when it
rolled out curbside recycling last fall, but the division also offers
residents the opportunity to dispose of items that don’t belong in
either bin – garbage or recycling. The city holds periodic “household
hazard waste” collection events where residents can get rid of paint,
solvents, motor oil, batteries – even old electronics – that don’t
belong in landfills.
The
Streets Division collects ground-up asphalt from road-milling projects
for use in reducing dust on roads with dirt shoulders. It also is
using light-emitting diode (LED) displays in traffic
signals, which has cut their power consumption in half.
The Transit Division operates trip-reduction programs
to encourage city employees and the public to walk, bike, car pool or
take a bus. Transit also is working to increase the amount and
frequency of public transportation in the city. Peoria
maintains two free Park & Ride lots in Oldtown. They are at the
northeast corner of Jefferson Street and 84th Avenue and the southwest
corner of Washington Street and 84th Avenue -- near Valley Metro’s
Peoria Avenue (No. 106) and Grand Avenue Limited bus routes. Both
lines serve Peoria Monday through Friday; the Grand Avenue buses take
commuters to downtown Phoenix in the morning and bring them back at
the end of the workday.
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