COLUMBUS, OHIO - Being honored by the 100 Best Green program as the seventh best green operation in the country, a jump from its place at 22nd in 2009, has helped the City of Columbus fleet gain recognition from the City mayor. Brad Couch, program director at Clean Fuels Ohio, accepted the certificate presented by Tom Johnson at the Green Fleet Conference in San Diego on Oct. 19.

"We are so proud that our Division of Fleet Management Division continues to be recognized as one of the greenest and more efficient in the nation," Mayor Michael B. Coleman stated in a release. "We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and pioneering alternative fuels to protect environment while saving public resources."

Fleet Management's Green Fleet ranking was based on 18 criteria used to measure the performance of a public fleet's focus to reduce greenhouse gases, educate the public, and drive policy change to clean the environment.

The City of Columbus has dedicated resources to building a CNG fueling center, which will be available to the general public and pumping fuel by October 2011.

"The mayor is committed to making Columbus one of the greenest cities in America," said Columbus Finance and Management Director Paul R. Rakosky. "Fleet has been assigned the responsibility of ensuring that all new vehicle/equipment purchases and operations are cleaner and environmentally responsible."

Green Fleets plays a leading role in promoting, encouraging, and enhancing the public sector's work performance and helps identify outstanding operations as models throughout industry. Green Fleets is a nationally recognized industry benchmark recognition program in the public sector. There are more than 38,000 public fleets in the United States.

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