Waste Management Venture For Clean Transportation

HOUSTON (AP) — Waste Management Inc. has established a joint venture with a technology company to produce liquefied natural gas for the trash hauler's fleet of trucks.

The Houston company and Linde North America said the joint venture has begun producing renewable vehicle fuel at the Altamont Landfill near Livermore, Calif.

The plant, which Linde built and operates, purifies and liquefies gas that Waste Management collects from the decomposition of organic waste in the landfill. The plant can produce up to 13,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas a day, which is enough to fuel 300 of Waste Management's 485 liquefied natural gas waste and recycling collection vehicles in 20 California communities.

Contributing to the $15.5 million Waste Management-Linde project were four state agencies, including the California Integrated Waste Management Board, California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission and South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Linde North America is part of The Linde Group, a global gases and engineering company.

Shares of Waste Management fell 31 cents to $30.38 in morning trading.