City officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 25. Screencapture via City of Spokane.
The City of Spokane, Wash., has begun construction on a combined Solid Waste Management and Fleet maintenance facility that will enable the city to convert its solid waste fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) from diesel fuel, according to the city’s utilities communications manager.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held April 25.
The facility, located on a 32-acre, city-owned site, will cost $14 million. Construction on the two-story, 57,500-square-foot facility is expected to continue until late summer or early fall of 2015.
The City anticipates that it will generate savings over 10 years to cover most of the cost of construction, including $2 million from operational efficiencies and about $7 million from converting its solid waste fleet to CNG.
The City expects to convert that fleet over a 10-year period through normal replacement of diesel vehicles. Once the entire solid waste fleet is replaced, officials estimate fuel savings could total up to $1 million annually.
