CSHCR 12(O&G): Relating to the use of natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel in Alaska.
00CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 12(O&G) 01 Relating to the use of natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel in Alaska. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS Alaska has a large natural-gas resource base; and 04 WHEREAS natural gas is available to approximately half of the state's population; 05 and 06 WHEREAS most vehicles are capable of running on natural gas; and 07 WHEREAS all major automobile, truck, and bus manufacturers in the United States 08 are building and road testing prototype natural-gas vehicles; and 09 WHEREAS natural gas is a safe fuel that, if leaked, dissipates into the atmosphere; 10 and 11 WHEREAS natural-gas refueling stations avoid the problem of leaking underground 12 storage tanks; and 13 WHEREAS the federal Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 impose much tougher 14 vehicle emission standards beginning with model year 1994, and natural-gas vehicles can meet
01 most of those standards; and 02 WHEREAS natural-gas vehicles produce significantly lower levels of harmful air 03 pollutants such as benzene than do gasoline or diesel vehicles; and 04 WHEREAS Anchorage is a nonattainment area for carbon monoxide, and natural-gas 05 vehicles would emit much less carbon monoxide, thus reducing the need for other attainment 06 measures such as oxygenated fuels; and 07 WHEREAS on a per-gallon equivalent, compressed natural gas in Alaska costs less 08 than gasoline; and 09 WHEREAS natural-gas vehicles require less maintenance than gasoline or diesel 10 vehicles; and 11 WHEREAS over 100 natural-gas vehicles currently operate within Alaska; and 12 WHEREAS natural gas could benefit the commercial motor carrier industry through 13 the availability of reliable, inexpensive fuel that will meet the pending low-sulphur 14 requirements of the Clean Air Act; and 15 WHEREAS natural gas is a proven performer in the Arctic conditions of Alaska, 16 having been in use in the North Slope Borough for more than 10 years on a year-round basis; 17 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports and encourages the use 18 of natural-gas vehicles in federal, state, municipal, and private automobile, truck, and bus 19 fleets in Alaska; and be it 20 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports and encourages 21 the rapid development of a natural-gas fueling station infrastructure in Alaska; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports and encourages 23 the cooperative government and industry task force on natural gas vehicles. 24 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Tom Fink, Mayor of the 25 Municipality of Anchorage; to the Honorable Don Gilman, Mayor of the Kenai Peninsula 26 Borough; to the Honorable Ernie Brannon, Mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough; to the 27 Honorable John Williams, Mayor of the City of Kenai; to the Honorable George Carte, Mayor 28 of the City of Palmer; to the Honorable Ken Lancaster, Mayor of the City of Soldotna; to the 29 Honorable John Stein, Mayor of the City of Wasilla; to Mr. Jack Froiland, Acting Field Office 30 Manager, General Services Administration; to the Honorable Jerry Covey, commissioner of 31 education; to the Honorable Bruce Campbell, commissioner of transportation and public
01 facilities; to the Honorable John Sandor, commissioner of environmental conservation; to Mr. 02 R. F. Barnes, President, ENSTAR Natural Gas; to Mr. James B. Blasingame, Vice-President 03 of Corporate Affairs, Alaska Railroad Corporation; to Mr. A. L. Wright, Vice-President, 04 Mapco Alaska Petroleum, Inc.; to Mr. Louis R. Thomason, Vice-President for marketing, 05 Tesoro Alaska Petroleum, Inc.; to Mr. Roy Lyons, Kenai regional manager, Phillips Petroleum, 06 Inc.; to Mr. Ray Latchem, President, Norgaso, Inc.; and to Mr. Frank Dillon, Executive 07 Director, Alaska Trucking Association.