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De Blasio Challenger Wants To Cut Pollution With Green Garbage Fleet

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A candidate for mayor wants garbage trucks to go green.

Democrat Sal Albanese declared that when he becomes mayor he'll replace the city's diesel powered garbage trucks with natural gas fueled models.

"We have the dirtiest sanitation fleet in America. We have a great sanitation department, but the trucks are polluting city streets, and they are impacting people's health," he said.

As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, he acknowledged that trucks powered by natural gas initially cost more.

"But you make that up in three years because the fuel cost is 50 percent less," he said.

He said Mayor Bill de Blasio's objective of cutting carbon emissions is admirable, but flawed in its execution.

"You don't set a goal and then do something that really contradicts that objective by using these diesel fuel trucks," he said.

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