Northbrook's Going Green

Clean Fuels

Northbrook has a long history of environmental awareness and leadership among local government agencies in support of environmental initiatives.

Reported to the be the first governmental installation of its kind in Illinois, the Village of Northbrook has dedicated a 3,000 gallon fuel tank to ethanol (E-85) to fuel bi-fuel vehicles.

Pictured left to right: Mark Lambert, Communications Director for the Illinois Corn Marketing Board; Village Manager John Novinson; Robert White, Director of Operations for the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council; and John DeRosa, Illinois Enviromental Project Coordinator for the American Lung Association.

Northbrook has retrofitted Village diesel trucks to significantly reduce noxious emissions and began purchasing bio-diesel fuel years before it was mandated.

The Village has installed fifteen Diesel Oxidation Catalysts on fourteen vehicles (one vehicle has two engines and two catalysts).

These catalysts will reduce particulate matter emissions (soot) by 25-33%, reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 13-23% and reduce hydrocarbons emissions by 50-52%

These installations were fully funded by grant requests from the Clean Air Counts program administered through the Chicago Department of Environment.

This policy has been encouraged by several state and federal actions.

One was the tax incentive bill on January 1, 2005 for federal tax incentives to use Biodiesel.

Another was the legislation from the Illinois General Assembly on July 1, 2006 (Public Act 094-0346) requiring any State, county or local government, school district, college or mass transit agency must use a Biodiesel blend of 2%.

Another was the Governor Rod R. Blagojevich comprehensive long-term energy plan unveiled on August 22, 2006, with several key items including financial incentives to build new Ethanol and Biodiesel plants in the State of Illinois.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made primarily from Soybeans, but it could be made from any fatty oil like Palm or Rapeseed. Because this is not a fossil fuel the emissions are reduced from the diesel engine using this type of fuel.

The reduction in emissions for B2 is:

Carbon Monoxide -1.26%
Hydrocarbon – 1.1%
Particulates – 1.8%
Sulfur Oxide – 2%
Air Toxics – 1.2-2.0%

The percentage of reduction would increase based on the increase of Biodiesel blend.