PHOENIX - Republic Services, which provides recycling and solid waste collection and disposal services in the United States and Puerto Rico, said 20 percent of the trucks it is adding to its fleet in 2010 are natural gas vehicles (NGVs). 

Beginning in April, the company will add 226 natural gas trucks to 10 facilities in its Western region. Republic's Allied Waste divisions in Gardena, Sun Valley, Anaheim, Long Beach, Pacheco and Chula Vista in California; Bellevue and Kent in Washington; and Boise, Idaho will be receiving the vehicles. 

Republic Services said it will support this major fleet upgrade by constructing compressed natural gas fueling stations at Gardena, Sun Valley and Chula Vista in California, and at Bellevue, Wash. 

Clean Energy, a major provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America, will facilitate the design and construction of the new fueling infrastructure. 

The addition of 226 NGVs will bring the total number of Republic's alternative fuel vehicles to more than 459 vehicles. 

"Dedicating 20 percent of our 2010 new truck orders to NGVs definitely makes a statement about our commitment to protecting the environment," said Jeff Andrews, Republic's senior vice president for the West Region. "It's only fitting that we start deployment of these fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles in April, the month of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day."  

Of the 226 NGVs, 173 are compressed natural gas and the remaining 53 are liquefied natural gas. The terms "liquefied" and "compressed" refer to the method of storage on the vehicle. Traditionally, liquefied natural gas is stored as a cryogenic liquid in a single tank, and compressed natural gas is stored in multiple high-pressure tanks. Vehicle chassis are built by Autocar and the engines by Cummins Westport.