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Mist forms from the hoses as a tanker truck is filled with liquefied natural gas following the opening celebration for the world's largest landfill gas (LFG) to LNG facility at the Altamont Landfill in Livermore, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. The plant is a joint venture between Waste Management Inc., which operates the landfill, and Linde North America, which built and operates the LFG-to-LNG facility. The LNG will be used to fuel trash trucks that service the Bay Area cities of San Ramon, Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward, Emeryville and Albany, as well as several Southern California communities. Up to 13,000 gallons of LNG can be produced daily. (Cindi Christie/Staff)

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LIVERMORE — Monday was a good day for garbage.

Representatives from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office, the California Air Resources Board and other state and local officials converged at the Altamont Landfill for thegrand opening of the world's largest plant that converts landfill gas to liquefied natural gas.

The plant, which is operated by Waste Management, will take landfill-generated methane gas and turn it into liquefied natural gas to fuel garbage collection trucks. Currently, only one or two other plants on Earth employ a similar process, said Waste Management spokeswoman Jennifer Andrews.

"This is kind of one-of-a-kind," she added.

Statewide, 495 trucks now are being supplied with garbage fuel from the new facility, which has been up-and-running for about two weeks. Of those, 49 are in the Bay Area.

California communities being serviced by the trucks include Oakland, Emeryville, Albany, Oro Loma, San Leandro, Hayward, Castro Valley, San Ramon, Corona, San Gabriel, Long Beach, Fresno, Simi Valley, Calabasas, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, El Cajon and Santee.

The $15.5 million project was a joint venture that began last year between between landfill operator Waste Management and Linde North America, a subsidiary of the Linde Group, an international gas and engineering company.

Reporter Sophia Kazmi also contributed to ths story. Reach Jeanine Benca at 925-847-2125.