In an effort to combat air pollution, the city of St. Paul has replaced 10 diesel-engine Public Works vehicles with more modern, environmentally-efficient alternatives.
The vehicles — three clam trucks, two aerial lifts, two dump trucks, a digger, a loader and a street sweeper — represent the equivalent of taking more than 20,000 cars off the road, according to city officials.
The switch took place with the help of Project Green Fleet, an environmental initiative that provides energy-efficient vehicles to businesses and municipalities at reduced cost. The older vehicles ranged from 17 to 24 years old and lacked modern environmental performance controls.
Air quality in Minnesota is generally rated good, but even low and moderate levels of air pollution can contribute to serious illness.
In a written statement, city officials noted that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has found that most of the state’s air pollutants come from smaller, widespread sources that are not highly regulated, such as cars.
Since 2005, Project Green Fleet has retrofitted more than 4,600 diesel vehicles – including 3,200 school buses – across the state.