CLEARFIELD – Since 2011, the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging has been in the process of converting its fleet of 11 cargo vans (used for daily Meals on Wheels & More food delivery) to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG).
The agency now also has two Honda Civic CNG staff vehicles that also operate on CNG.
Through numerous grants from the Wal-Mart Foundation, Meals on Wheels of America and AFIG (Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants) from the Department of Environmental Protection and financial support from the agency’s Friends of the Area Agency on Aging Auxiliary, the project is finally complete.
Vehicles powered by CNG generate fewer exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions than their gasoline or diesel powered counterparts.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Gas vehicles offer fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants, and reductions in carbon monoxide emissions of 90-97 percent, carbon dioxide emissions of 25 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions of 35-60 percent.
The grants also provided funding for the installation of a slow-fill station on site. The slow-fill station is able to fill all the vehicles at the same time. The cost of CNG is significantly less than gasoline.
The agency thanks its partners, and especially the auxiliary, for their generous contributions, which have allowed us to complete our conversions. By fueling the vans with CNG instead of regular gasoline, the agency has saved more than $15,000 since the conversions started.
This project also enabled the CCAAA to serve as a model of environmental stewardship since CNG is known to burn cleaner than gasoline.
The “Friends of the Area Agency on Aging” was formed in July of 1995 with the purpose of promoting and supporting the programs and services of the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging and its charitable foundation, Mature Resources Foundation. Any person of any age may join the auxiliary.
For more information on the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc. or the auxiliary, please visit www.ccaaa.net.
Programs and services of the agency are funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc., Mature Resources Foundation, local and consumer contributions and generous donations such as this.