LEESVILLE, La.-The Town of Hornbeck announced today its plan to install a fast-fill Compressed Natural Gas Station in Leesville.

The City of Leesville hosted the announcement at the future location of the CNG Station, at 1001 N. 6th Street, Leesville.

"We welcome with open arms the kind of forward-thinking development demonstrated by Mayor Beebe and the Town of Hornbeck in opening a compressed natural gas station here," said Leesville Mayor Robert Rose. "A compressed natural gas station located in Leesville will offer far-reaching economical benefits to the City of Leesville in terms of franchise fees and costs savings when we begin converting our own fleets. In addition the Town of Hornbeck will be helping the parish government, local industry and local consumers realize the same cost saving benefits. Welcome to Leesville Mayor Beebe. We're glad you've decided to open up shop here." 

"I'd like to offer a special thanks to Mayor Rose, for not only hosting today's event, but also for his commitment to working with his neighbors for the common good," said Hornbeck Mayor Clarence Beebe. "He's doing an incredible job of unifying the municipalities and working with the parish. It is days like today that is the proof of just how good he is at being the Mayor of Leesville.

"I believe natural gas is positioned to be the number one alternative fuel to help the U.S. achieve energy independence for a few reasons," said Mayor Beebe. "First, natural gas is abundant. America is the number one producer of natural gas in the world. In 2011, Louisiana ranked 2nd in natural gas production behind Texas, producing more than 3 million cubic feet of natural gas.

"Second, natural gas is clean. The emissions from natural gas used as a transportation fuel is 80 percent less than gasoline or diesel. Third, natural gas is affordable. Depending on the application, natural gas offers a 30-50 percent savings over other fuels. Fourth, natural gas is safe. Natural gas is lighter than air. If and when you have a leak, it will dissipate quickly."

The Town of Hornbeck already manages a significant natural gas system throughout Vernon Parish. Thus, it was an easy step for the town council to begin thinking about offering natural gas to local businesses and eventually to open a compressed natural gas station.

The Town of Hornbeck has also received commitments from Progressive Waste Solutions to begin converting its fleet to natural gas vehicles. Progressive Waste Solutions contracts with Vernon Parish for waste removal services and is an industry leader in fleet conversion to CNG.

In a 2013 press release, the company announced that it expects 50 to 55 percent of the total number of vehicles it purchases in Canada and the U.S., through the normal course replacement of its fleet, will be fuelled by compressed natural gas.

According to Progressive Waste Solutions, conversion of its fleet to natural gas helps municipalities meet targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reduces pollution in the neighborhoods they serve.

About CNG (from CNGnow.com)

Compressed Natural Gas is a clean, affordable and abundant alternative to gasoline.

With gas prices continuing to rise, CNG is becoming one of the best alternative fuels available, since it costs about 50 percent less than gasoline or diesel, emits up to 80 percent fewer emissions than gasoline and can be found in abundance right here in Louisiana.

CNG is made by compressing natural gas to less than 1 percent of its volume at standard atmospheric pressure. Consisting mostly of methane, CNG is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It's drawn from domestically drilled natural gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production.

Natural gas powers more than 12 million vehicles on the road today. Every year since 2000, that number has grown by about 30.6 percent throughout the world, but only by about 3.7 percent annually in the U.S.

CNG fueling stations allow for an increase of CNG vehicles on U.S. roads. There are 12,000 CNG fueling stations around the world, with only about 500 in the U.S.

CNG vehicles are as safe as gasoline-powered vehicles due to strict safety standards. CNG is nontoxic, and disperses rapidly, posing no threat to our environment in the event of a spill or accidental release.