[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...c7bd7046eb.html

MICHIGAN CITY | Michigan City is investing in trucks that use cleaner burning natural gas.

A truck that cleans sewers and a refuse truck costing over $600,000 combined are being purchased along with more than $100,000 in equipment necessary to refuel the trucks with natural gas on site.

A federal grant is being used to offset some of the cost in what could be the starting of converting the entire heavy equipment fleet in the cityover to natural gas.

"We’re the test case so to speak," said Tina Tabisz, administrative assistant at the Michigan City Sanitary District.

Tabisz said the grant obtained through the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission is funding 80 percent of the cost of a truck that cleans sewer lines with water forced out at high pressure and manholes with a vacuum.

The entire cost of the garbage truck is being paid for by the refuse department, which liked the idea of starting to convert its fleet over to the cleaner burning fuel.

Refuse Department Superintendent Jim Kintzele said he would consider replacing his fleet of five garbage trucks if he likes how the natural gas one performs.

"We’ll check it out. That’s the reason for doing it," said Kintzele.

The filling station will go up at the Central Services building.

It’ll take several hours to completely refuel the trucks overnight under a system that slowly injects natural gas into the tanks at high pressure, said Tabisz.

Natural gas burning vehicles don’t quite get the gas mileage as vehicles that burn gasoline or diesel.

However, she said there will be a cost savings because natural gas is much cheaper and the sewer truck mostly sits with the engine idling to power high pressure water lines and the vacuum.

Tabisz said the natural gas burning sewer truck will replace one of the three sewer trucks now in stock at the sanitary district and other grants will be sought to purchase more.

"The idea is to take out of service our diesel and gasoline engines to improve air quality," she said.