Should the Planning Board give its approval, a different kind of gas station may open in town.

On Tuesday, Larry Swartz, of Covanta SEMASS, where waste is converted into electricity, presented board members with a plan to sell liquefied natural gas on-site.

The fueling station would service trucks hauling waste to SEMASS and be open to the public.

Swartz said vehicles using compressed natural gas are becoming increasingly popular in waste management. Fueling up with natural gas is cheaper for waste haulers, he said.

Additionally, vehicles equipped to run on natural gas pollute less and aren’t as loud as gasoline powered trucks.

Plans call for two fueling stations. One would service the general public. The second would be for vehicles contracted to drop waste at SEMASS.

Because natural gas powered cars and trucks aren’t widespread, Swartz said he didn’t expect an increase in traffic in the near future.

He explained the natural gas would be transported through a pipeline maintained by the energy provider National Grid. If the project is approved, that pipeline would be  connected to SEMASS.

There would be no shipments of compressed natural gas through town, he said. Planning for the station started three years ago, when a waste hauler informed SEMASS the industry was seeking more natural gas fueling stations.  The presentation took place during an informal meeting. “I think this is a good idea,” Planning Board member Susan Teal said. “I think the more natural gas, the better.”

Planning Board Chair Arnie Johnson told Swartz a traffic study must be completed to meet town bylaw requirements.

Johnson and other board members expressed concerns about traffic at the site.

In September, board members will tour SEMASS to examine the site. A public hearing on the project is tentatively set for October.