UL Makes Clean Air Pledge, Shows Commitment to a Safer Environment

NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 11 -- Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), one of the world's foremost product safety testing and certification organizations, has purchased six natural gas-powered vans in an effort to protect the environment and improve the quality of air. As a result, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Partners for Clean Air designated UL as a "Green Fleet Partner."

A Green Fleet Partner is an Illinois business that has pledged to use environmentally friendly vehicles to improve the quality of air. UL's new vans use compressed natural gas, a clean-burning alternative fuel that helps to reduce polluting emissions.

UL will add the new six GMC vans to its vanpool fleet (now totaling 16), which is used by employees to commute to and from the Northbrook, Ill., facility, 15 miles north of Chicago. UL has provided the vanpool service for more than 22 years.

"We are multiplying our environmental efforts," said Phil McVicker, associate manager, Facilities operations. "We're not only offering our employees the option to carpool to and from work in low-emission, natural gas vans, but we are also using our own resources to refuel them."

For convenience and cost-effectiveness, UL has also installed its own refueling station at the Northbrook facility.

Contact Sylvia Johnson at +1-847-664-2194 to obtain an interview with a UL spokesperson or print-quality picture of the natural gas-powered van.

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization that has been testing products for more than 108 years. More than 18 billion UL Marks appear on products each year, and more than 18,000 types of products are tested at UL's five U.S. laboratories. Worldwide, the UL family of companies and its network of service providers include more than 45 laboratory, testing and certification facilities.