WASHINGTON, D.C. – A report just released by INFORM, a national environmental research organization, estimates that if each conventional diesel-burning refuse truck in the United States is replaced now with an liquid natural gas (LNG) model, 1 ton of nitrogen oxide is eliminated, according to United Press International. With the help of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which allots $1 billion of incentives to cover alternative fuels, and improving infrastructure, a shift to LNG might be in the future. Such incentives may cover $32,000 or up to 80 percent of the purchase cost of an LNG vehicle in changing over, the report said, along with up to $30,000 in federal tax credits to help cover the cost of new fueling station equipment. Waste Management, a provider of waste and environmental services in North America, is one company that met the deadline for early implementation of the nation’s most stringent diesel emission-reduction program for 1,390 of 2,742 vehicles in its fleet. The goal was met by permanently retiring 181 trucks, deploying 415 trucks that operate on natural gas, and retrofitting 794 trucks, according to the report. As technologies advance and infrastructures improve, more companies will follow in Waster Management’s footsteps.