Seal Beach, Santa Ana Companies Earn Alternative Fuel Awards

Two Orange County businesses were hailed as national leaders in alternative fuels Friday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Pickens Fuel Corp. of Seal Beach and American Livery Inc. of Santa Ana were among 10 Southland honorees recognized at an Earth Day ceremony in Los Angeles.

These firms “give me hope for the future for dealing with air-quality problems, particularly in this basin,” said Felicia Marcus, EPA Regional Administrator.

Pickens Fuel--the nation’s largest provider of natural gas--has a network of more than 30 fueling stations in California and Arizona. In 1999, it secured about $20 million in grants for customers to buy new natural-gas vehicles.

“The environment and business can exist together and achieve mutual goals,” said David H. Haradon, an account manager with Pickens Fuel.

Natural gas burns more cleanly and can cut emissions that contribute to Southern California’s smog. Haradon noted that replacing one regular trash truck with a natural-gas powered truck is equivalent to taking 325 vehicles off the road, thus cutting emissions.

American Livery operates American Taxi, the nation’s only 100% natural-gas powered taxi fleet. It was honored not only for reducing gasoline consumption, but also for overcoming many obstacles, such as the “indifference of local government.”

“Doing a good thing is difficult,” said Rick Schorling, president of American Livery. “A lot of people talk about cleaning the air and improving the environment, but they’re not willing to do anything about it.

“I can very easily see this as part of the solution to vehicle-emission problems in Southern California,” he said.