Photo Credit: Chicago Park District
In a city that records among the highest asthma death-rates in the country, Chicago parks and lakefronts provide welcome respites for residents seeking green space and fresh air. With assets that encompass 8,700 acres, and more than 600 parks, 27 beaches, and 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago Park District (CPD) significantly reduces its environmental impact and improves sustainability by using renewable and cleaner-burning biodiesel.
CPD started using biodiesel in 2013, blending it with petroleum diesel at an average annual blend of 16 percent biodiesel (or B16). Blends now reach as high as 50 percent depending on weather, with blends averaging 20 percent or more year-round.
Biodiesel blends fuel a variety of diesel-powered CPD equipment and vehicles, ranging from lawnmowers to log-loader trucks. A total of 200 park vehicles run on 10 to 20 percent biodiesel, and another 56 vehicles utilize biodiesel blends of 10 to 50 percent. These higher blends can be used in any of the park’s diesel vehicles with no engine modifications required.