Dive summary:
- El Sobrante Landfill in Corona, Calif., has a new hybrid bulldozer with which uses 10%-20% less fuel and emits 99% less pollution.
- The project is funded by a $2 million grant given to the University of California, the first million was to deploy hybrid equipment in the state and the second million was to evaluate it.
- The university chose El Sobrante Landfill, which is owned by Waste Management; during the experiment Waste Management has purchased 14 additional hybrid bulldozers to reduce their emissions nationwide.
From the article:
The job of evaluating was not an easy task. It required months of field testing. Engineering graduate student Sam Coa spent hours monitoring data from a portable emissions system on top of the bulldozer.
"We're able to do real-world emissions testing inside a landfill where before it was impossible," Coa said.
Waste Management, which operates the landfill, said the experiment falls in line with its goal of reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency.
"It means that we will be investing in more equipment in the near future in many of our other landfills," said Lily Quiroa, a spokeswoman for Waste Management. ...
