CULVER CITY, CA - The City of Culver City was recently named the #1 Green Fleet in North America for 2009 by the Best Green Fleets National Fleet Certification Program and the U.S. Clean Cities Coalition. Columbus, Ohio Mayor Michael B. Coleman presented Culver City with the prestigious award at the national Green Fleet Conference in Chicago last month.

The achievement is awarded to public sector fleet organizations in recognition of their outstanding contributions and leadership in the advancement of alternative fuels, establishing and maintaining a green facility-environment, and demonstrating consistent sustainability practices throughout their operations.

The very competitive Government Green Fleet Award is open to all federal, state, and local government fleets in North America, based on a comprehensive set of criteria specifically tailored to the challenges and requirements of government fleets. The criteria was carefully established by industry leaders and the U.S. Clean Cities Coalition using seven strategic sources in green fleet planning and methodology:  1) Fleet Composition, 2) Fuel & Emissions, 3) Fleet Utilization, 4) Policy & Planning, 5) Education, 6) Executive & Employee Involvement, and 7) Supporting Programs.

Culver City has been a progressive leader in its commitment to using natural gas as its fuel of choice for its entire fleet, including refuse and public works trucks, standard autos, and buses, displacing nearly 800,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel and saving taxpayers more than $1.2 million dollars per year. "Culver City strives to be a model environmental steward. The City fleet operation is certified with the State of California as a Green Model Shop under the Department of Toxic Substance and Controls (DTSC), has an aggressive recycling program, and employs sustainable workplace practices", said Culver City Mayor Andrew Weissman.

Along with the Green Fleet Award, the Equipment Maintenance & Fleet Services Division was also recently named as the 5^th Best Overall Fleet in North America for 2009, competing with more than 5,000 municipal fleets. The fleet was also one of five recipients of the NGV America Leadership award in September.