EPA Honors 2 Firms for Use of Alternative Fuels

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

Pickens Fuel of Seal Beach and American Livery of Santa Ana were among 10 Southland honorees that received recognition during 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 cleaner and can cut emissions that contribute to Southern California’s smog. Haradon said that replacing one regular trash truck with a natural gas-powered trash truck is equivalent to taking 325 vehicles off the road and cutting emissions by one ton.

American Livery operates American Taxi, the nation’s only 100% natural gas-powered taxi fleet. It was honored not only for reducing gasoline consumption by 100 gallons a week, but also for overcoming such obstacles 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.”

He said he felt vindicated last month after the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a lucrative contract between American Taxi and John Wayne Airport.

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