LNG shortage means dirty streets in Long Beach

For those arguing that California doesn't need liquefied natural gas, just look beneath your feet...

City streets will not be swept today because of a regional shortage of liquefied natural gas, which powers the city's sweepers, city officials said Wednesday...

Disruption to an LNG production plant in Topack, Ariz., is partly to blame for the regional shortage. In 2002, the South Coast Air Quality Management District mandated that the city purchase alternative fuel street sweepers.

The city's trash trucks also operate on LNG, although there is enough gas in city reserves to run today's trash routes. Those routes include parts of the Westside, Wrigley, California Heights and Central Long Beach, north of Pacific Coast Highway.

If the city does not get a supply of LNG today, it could have to cancel both trash and street sweeping on Friday, Kuhl said.