The city of Portage continues moving its fleet of garbage trucks to compressed natural gas. The city recently purchased seven CNG trucks with a grant from the Indiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund.
Street Superintendent Randy Reeder says the city showed some of them off during its Fourth of July parade and has launched a naming contest for Portage fourth and fifth graders. "We've got one, 'Oscar's New Can,'" Reeder told the city council Wednesday. "That's our mini-loader."
Reeder said another $4.55 million has been allocated to the effort through the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. That will include funding for about four new CNG trucks next year and a CNG station in 2025.
"That's a great revenue from there that we've taken advantage of, and that is an 80/20 match," Reeder added.
Switching from diesel to CNG trucks is seen as a way to reduce costs, while lowering carbon emissions.
