WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Congressman Dan Boren successfully amended today the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2010 in the U.S. House of Representatives to develop criteria for the safe installation of high pressure tanks used in alternative fuel buses.
“My amendment will complement the push toward alternatively fueled service vehicles, like those powered by natural gas, which an increasing number of communities are acquiring for their transportation needs. In most cases, vehicles originally designed to operate on gasoline or diesel are modified to run on an alternative fuel. Since a vehicle is initially made with a specific fuel tank, modifications must account for the physical differences between the fuels. Improper installations can create issues with overall safety, and that is why development of failure and best practices criteria is essential,” Boren said. “As our nation works to alleviate our reliance on foreign sources of transportation fuel, we must make certain our development and implementation of alternative fuel vehicles is a smooth process.”
The underlying bill provides $1 million for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop test procedures and failure criteria to assess the safety of hydrogen, fuel cell, and other alternative fuel vehicles. Boren’s amendment would add an additional $250,000 specifically for the development of failure criteria for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanks and best practices criteria for the installation of high pressure tanks for both hydrogen and CNG transit buses. The funding for the amendment is offset by a reduction in a Department of Transportation general expenses account.
Additionally, during the floor debate of the T-HUD Appropriations Act for FY 2010, Congressman Boren also engaged Congressman Olver, Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, in a discussion regarding an inequity and inefficiency that currently exists within federal transit programs that assist local transit agencies with their capital projects such as buses and garages.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) makes federal resources available for transit agencies’ “capital and operating assistance” needs in urbanized areas and for transportation-related planning. For the acquisition of alternatively fueled buses, the federal government will pay a percentage of the overall cost of a bus. However, under current law bio-diesel buses, which mechanically are no different than a standard diesel bus, are able to receive a benefit equal to 90 percent of the bus’ cost. Buses powered by other alternative fuels, such as natural gas, are only able to obtain a benefit equal to 83 percent of the cost of the bus.
During the debate, Congressman Boren received an agreement from Chairman Olver to address this disparity in transit benefits in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
“There is no reason not to extend the same 90 percent benefit to a natural gas or hybrid-electric bus that is currently offered to a biodiesel bus,” Boren said. “Natural gas-powered buses produce 22 percent less greenhouse gases than comparable standard diesel buses, and they have a proven track record of displacing imported petroleum. This change would provide critical funds to help transit agencies accelerate the replacement of existing diesel buses with new, fuel efficient alternative fueled or advanced technology ones.”
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