Durham Named One of Best...

CITY OF DURHAM
Office of Public Affairs
101 CITY HALL PLAZA
DURHAM, NC 27701


News Release
For Details, Contact:
Amy Blalock
Sr. Public Affairs Specialist
(919) 560-4123 x 11253
(919) 475-7735 (cell)
Amy.Blalock@durhamnc.gov

For Immediate Release: November 13, 2009


Durham Named One of Best “Government Green Fleet” Programs in the U.S.
City Ranks 32nd in the Nation; Award to be Presented Nov. 20 During Fleet Forum in Durham

DURHAM, N.C. – The City of Durham has one more national award to add to its list thanks to a recent recognition for having one of the greenest government vehicle fleets in the nation.

The City’s Fleet Management Department will be recognized on Friday, November 20 for being 32nd in the nation for having the best “green fleet” program by Government Fleet Magazine. The “100 Best Fleets Program” recognizes and rewards peak-performing fleet operations in North America. Currently in its seventh year, program identifies and encourages ever-increasing levels of performance improvement within the fleet industry.

According to Kent Cash, director of the City’s Fleet Management Department, the award is a real honor for Durham and testament to the City’s concerted efforts to go green and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Since there are over 38,000 public fleets in North America, we consider being in the top 40 a real compliment of our efforts to ‘go green’ here in Durham,” Cash said. “As a department, we want to do our part to help the City achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030. As part of that, we are constantly searching for ways to use renewable fuels, implement new technologies, and wisely use our fleet vehicles.”

The Government Green Fleet Award is based on a comprehensive set of criteria specifically tailored around the challenges and requirements of the government fleet manager. The evaluation standards are divided into several key categories, including fleet composition, fuel & emissions, policy & planning, fleet utilization, education, executive & employee involvement, and supporting programs.

The City will receive its award on Friday, November 20, 2009, at 9 a.m. during the opening ceremony of a Fleet Forum to be held at the City’s Fleet Management Department, located at 1900 Camden Avenue, Durham. The forum, conducted by Government Fleet Magazine, Triangle Clean Cities, and the 100 Best Fleets in North America™, is being hosted in Durham since the City is one of the top 40 government green fleets in the country. According to Kathy Boyer with Triangle Clean Cities, Durham was chosen to host this once-only forum since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named the City as having one of the best green fleets they had seen in the State of North Carolina and forum attendees would have the unique opportunity to tour Durham’s award-winning facility.

For a complete listing of the top-winning government fleets, visit http://the100bestfleets.com/gf_winners_2009.htm. For more information about the City’s Fleet Management Department, visit the City’s Web site athttp://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/fleet.