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solely on fleet turnover to achieve the full benefits of the new engine standards could take up to 20 years due to the reliability of diesel engines. In the meantime many of the older dirtier diesel engines will continue to remain in service. Natural Gas Vehicles Natural gas engines offer the potential for significant reductions in trash truck emissions. Natural gas is also a secure, domestically produced fuel that reduces the demand for petroleum -based fuels and imported oil. Replacing 50 % of the estimated 136,000 diesel trash trucks operating in the country with natural gas trucks would annually displace approximately 600 million gallons of diesel fuel, the equivalent of 14.3 million barrels of oil — a meaningful step toward energy security ". An added benefit is that natural gas engines are significantly quieter than diesel engines. In the past four years the number of natural gas trucks in the United States has more than doubled, and nearly 700 natural gas garbage trucks are in operation today. By 2010 it is projected that over 2,200 natural gas garbage trucks will be operating in the US12. Two - thirds of the estimated 700 natural gas garbage trucks in operation in the US operate on liquid natural gas (LNG), while the rest use compressed natural gas (CNG). Natural gas engines have already shown that they can meet the 2010 EPA emission requirements while also generating half the NOx emissions of 2010 compliant diesel engines. Natural gas trucks, however, produce lower torque (power), are heavier and take longer to fuel than diesel vehicles. While natural gas vehicles can cost substantially more than diesel, the new emission requirements and rising diesel fuel costs could erase the cost advantage that diesel trucks have had over natural gas. A major impediment to natural gas trash trucks in the City is the lack of fueling infrastructure. Biodiesel Biodiesel is clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can also be used in compression- ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Each of the licensed residential haulers reported that they have experimented with Biodiesel with mixed results. Problems with clogging of filters, jelling, cost and warranty issues were cited. " INFORM; Greening Garbage Trucks: Trends in Alternative Fuel Use, 2002 -2005. 12 Ibid. Review of Trash Collection Impacts Section 2 - 9