Construction vehicles will start burning cleaner fuel

Friday, Dec. 15, 2000 | 11:13 a.m.

Some Las Vegas construction crews will be burning cleaner oxygenated diesel fuel in their vehicles and hopefully kicking up a lot less dust thanks to two measures passed by the Clark County Health District Board.

The board approved without discussion via a consent vote Thursday a plan authorizing its staff to execute agreements with participants in a $500,000 clean-diesel-engine incentive program that is expected to significantly cut emissions from heavy construction equipment.

In separate action, the board voted unanimously to raise its dust control permit fee by $15 to $105 to fund 15 new workers, nine of whom will be assigned to inspect vacant disturbed lands, unpaved roads, construction sites and other areas where dust is kicked up.

Clark County has been designated as a nonattainment area for particulates of dust called PM10, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Both measures are expected to take steps to help bring Las Vegas into PM10 compliance.

The oxygenated diesel fuel plan will be funded by $500,000 from the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety's excess reserve account.

The money will be used to fund the cost of installing the oxidation catalysts on 150 heavy-duty diesel-powered equipment and trucks and to fund the oxygenation of the fuel itself, which will be 93 percent diesel, 1 percent emulsifier and 6 percent ethanol.

The reformulated fuel, to be mixed and distributed by Rebel Oil, will cost 7.5 cents per gallon more than conventional diesel fuel for off-road use and about 5 cents more per gallon for on-road use.

Health District officials hope to reduce carbon monoxide by between 50-90 percent from the oxygenated catalysts and an additional 23.1 percent through the oxygenated diesel fuel. Officials also project that PM10s will be reduced by 25 percent with the catalysts and another 31 percent via the reformulated fuel.