Georgia’s DeKalb County is opening a compressed natural gas (CNG) processing facility at a landfill in Ellenwood, plans a second and will convert 70 Department of Sanitation vehicles to the fuel.

Through the conversion the county expects fuel savings of $3 million over the next eight years, according to a news release from Sustainable Atlanta.  The county intends to eventually replace or adapt its entire fleet of 306 sanitation vehicles with CNG versions during the same time period.

Once the project begins the county said it will be able to process more landfill gas than any other county in Georgia.

The Department of Sanitation has partnered with the Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program, a $40 million initiative with the goals of increasing the supply and availability of renewable fuels and decreasing the demand for petroleum in the metro Atlanta region.

The program is funded by DeKalb County and a U.S. Department of Energy grant made possible through President Obama’s federal stimulus program.

“If the market fluctuates again sanitation will be well positioned by relying on local energy at its landfill as opposed to imported petroleum,” the Sanitation Department said in an e-mail. “Sanitation will be able to keep its fuel cost stable, which in return assist in our overall fees that the residents and businesses pay for our collection services.”