EPA Honors H-E-B
WASHINGTON - H-E-B was honored earlier this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of 52 members in a new national partnership to reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions from the nation's ground freight transportation sector.
H-E-B was one of 15 companies invited to be a charter member of the SmartWay Transport Partnership. Charter partners helped the EPA design the program. During a special Feb. 9 ceremony in Washington, D.C., EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt recognized H-E-B and the other partners for finding ways to improve air quality, reduce harmful emissions, save fuel and protect public health.
Trucking fleets that join the EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership, such as H-E-B's, commit to incorporating fuel-saving technologies and practices into their operations that result in cleaner, more efficient ground freight transportation. By incorporating innovative technologies and practices in its fleet operation, H-E-B has already reduced harmful air pollutants by more than 30 percent while increasing fuel efficiency. H-E-B's truck fleet travels 55 million miles each year.
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, H-E-B has already implemented practices promoted by the Partnership, such as limiting idling time to five minutes or less during pickup and delivery stops, using wide-based, low-profile single tires, and clean-burning liquefied natural gas in its Houston-based trucking fleet.
The Partnership's goal is to reduce 33 million to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog. This reduction is equivalent to taking 12 million cars off the road per year.
H-E-B was one of 15 companies invited to be a charter member of the SmartWay Transport Partnership. Charter partners helped the EPA design the program. During a special Feb. 9 ceremony in Washington, D.C., EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt recognized H-E-B and the other partners for finding ways to improve air quality, reduce harmful emissions, save fuel and protect public health.
Trucking fleets that join the EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership, such as H-E-B's, commit to incorporating fuel-saving technologies and practices into their operations that result in cleaner, more efficient ground freight transportation. By incorporating innovative technologies and practices in its fleet operation, H-E-B has already reduced harmful air pollutants by more than 30 percent while increasing fuel efficiency. H-E-B's truck fleet travels 55 million miles each year.
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, H-E-B has already implemented practices promoted by the Partnership, such as limiting idling time to five minutes or less during pickup and delivery stops, using wide-based, low-profile single tires, and clean-burning liquefied natural gas in its Houston-based trucking fleet.
The Partnership's goal is to reduce 33 million to 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog. This reduction is equivalent to taking 12 million cars off the road per year.