Project Green Fleet Funds Cemstone Mixer Upgrades

Funding through the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) and its Project Green Fleet program will finance upgrading of 21 mixer trucks owned and operated

Funding through the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) and its Project Green Fleet program will finance upgrading of 21 mixer trucks owned and operated by Mendota Heights, Minn.-based Cemstone. By early 2010, the vehicles will be retrofitted with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) or diesel multi-stage filters expected to reduce engine emissions by up to 50 percent.

During the summer, five Cemstone mixer trucks were fitted with special diesel emissions filters. Project Green Fleet covers the costs of installation, including training, and diesel emission-reduction equipment. To qualify, trucks must remain in service for at least the next five to seven years. All upgraded Cemstone fleet vehicles will operate in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

We’re excited to have the opportunity to participate in this expansion of Project Green Fleet, as the program provides vital assistance to reduce emissions of our concrete mixer truck fleet, affirms Cemstone Executive Vice President of Operations Tim Becken. Whether it’s habitat restoration at our mining operations or the use of industrial byproducts in our concrete, we understand that developing sustainable practices is good for the air we breathe and our bottom line.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $3 million federal stimulus grant to MEI to fund statewide Project Green Fleet initiatives. Since MEI estimates that diesel vehicles account for 50 percent of all traffic-generated air pollution in Minnesota, its Project Green Fleet aims to improve air quality and protect public health by reducing diesel emissions through a collaborative effort among Minnesota businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.