A trip to Banff National Park will be even more of a “gas” than usual as part of a new effort to reduce polluting vehicle emissions in the world-famous tourist destination.
ATCO Gas, Alberta’s Climate Change Central, tour companies and Natural Resources Canada are teaming up on the initiative announced this week called “eMission Banff.”
It will initially involve converting more than 60 commercial vehicles — mainly large passenger vans and shuttle buses — to run on cleaner-burning natural gas instead of diesel or gasoline.
That will significantly reduce the vehicles’ toxic emissions, including pollutants that create smog and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. It’s estimated the commercial vehicles drive more than four million kilometres each year to and from the park.
“Canada’s most famous national park is the perfect place to launch a project symbolizing real effort to help preserve Canada’s environment for generations to come,” said ATCO Gas vice-president John Carroll.
Allan Amey, president and chief executive of Climate Change Central, said: “This project makes an immediate positive environmental impact and demonstrates what can happen when several forward-looking organizations work in partnership to make a difference.”
It’s Climate Change Central’s first project that will actually start reducing greenhouse gases in Alberta.
David Pollock, executive director of the Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based environmental policy group, welcomed the eMission project as a good first step toward reversing the trend of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases.
“I think it’s a positive experiment. There will be some actual CO2 reduction,” he said.
Climate Change Central is a private sector-public agency established by the provincial government in 1999, with $6 million in operating funds over three years. The agency co-ordinates projects to reduce emissions that are proposed by individuals, businesses, institutions and governments.
At least six major tour companies using Banff park or regularly travelling the Trans-Canada Highway between Calgary and Banff have signed on to switch to natural gas.
As part of the agreement, the town of Banff has committed to convert its public transit buses from diesel fuel to natural gas.
ATCO will build a new natural gas-fuelling facility in the town, to complement an existing station near the Calgary International Airport.
The company also hopes to establish a fuel-conversion and maintenance facility in the Bow Valley.
Climate Change Central will contribute $85,000 toward eMission, including grants of $2,000 to tour companies ordering a new natural gas-powered vehicle and $1,000 to companies retrofitting existing vans and buses.
Natural Resources Canada will provide an additional $2,000 for new natural gas-powered vehicles, $500 for retrofits and support the refuelling station with a $12,500 contribution.
Web Watch:
www.atcogas.com
www.climatechangecentral.com
