McHenry County Conservation District honored for green fleet

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition, has recognized the McHenry County Conservation District for having a “green fleet.”

The district received the Illinois Green Fleet designation because 50 out of its 63 vehicles are powered with clean fuels.

Once the remaining 13 vehicles are phased out, the district will consider replacing them with ones that use flex or alternative fuel.

But it doesn’t come cheap.

In 2013 the district spent $52,200 for eight conversion kits for new replacement vehicles, but was refunded $32,000 by taking part in the Green Fleet rebate program.

The district’s vehicles are used as passenger vehicles, police vehicles, and site maintenance and resource management pickup trucks. Moreover, the 18 district vehicles that run on liquefied petroleum gas are each estimated to save $10,000 in fuel costs after 100,000 miles, according to the district. “Although it is several years before financial savings are realized, the significant factor at work here is how this change in operations and purchasing practices will affect the long-term life of our environment,” Perry Weborg, the district’s sites and fleet manager, said in a statement. “It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to reduce emissions and decrease our carbon footprint.”

Since 2001, the IEPA has recognized statewide fleets that have voluntarily made their fleets a bit greener.