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Show Gas Association, Wednesday, November 4, 1992 THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, Page 5 Natural gas vehicles can help reduce air pollution Urban air quality is a major and very troubling issue on our national agenda. Etched into every citizen's psyche are media images of our cities cloaked in unhealthy banks of smog. Vehicle pollution is a major culprit, contributing to and accounting for some 70 percent of Los Angeles' smog and 40 percent of the nation's as a whole. Today, many government officials, business leaders, environmentalists and citizens agree it's time for America's cars, trucks and buses to begin using cleaner fuels. I Several cleaner-burnin- g fuels have emerged as alternatives to gasoline and diesel. Natural gas has moved to the forefront of alternative vehicle fuels because of its cleaner-burnin- g properties and abundant availability. Using natural gas in motor vehicles could improve air quality substantially. Compared with an average gasoline or diesel engine, an engine converted to run on natural gas can dramatically reduce the major pollutants in our urban air. A converted natural gas vehicle (NGV) emits up to 99 percent less carbon monoxide, 67 percent fewer hydrocarbons, 22 percent less carbon dioxide, 16 percent fewer nitrogen oxides and virtually no particulates. Vehicles manufactured at the plant with engines designed to run exclusively on natural gas (called dedicated NGVs) promise even greater emissions reductions. Natural gas also has significant potential to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil. About 95 percent of the natural gas used in the United States is produced here. And industry experts predict we have a 200-yesupply using conventional and advanced recovery techniques. Natural gas is a safe vehicle ar Natural gas has moved to the forefront of alternative vehicle fuels because of its cleaner-burnin- g properties and abundant availability. fuel. It's stored aboard vehicles in cylinders built to much more rigorous standards than gasoline tanks. Also, it's a gaseous fuel that's lighter than air. So if natural gas is released, it rapidly disperses instead of forming a spreading pool or vapor cloud on the ground, as liquid fuels do. Not only is natural gas clean and safe, but it also is less expensive than other fuels. An equivalent gallon of natural gas costs up to 50 than a gallon of gasopercent line. Since a natural gas vehicle the State Motor Pool and Brigham Young University. UTA now has five dedicated natural gas buses in manufacturing asscmblyline dedi- f service. There currently are 14 natural gas refueling facilities in Mountain Fuel's service area, nine of which are or soon will be available to the public. Plans call for installing six to eight more refueling facilities in the next six to 12 months. There also are retail gasoline outlets in several Utah cities that plan to offer natural gas for vehicles. r, a natural gas refueling apFuel-make- pliance, offers convenience for those who want to fill up at home. Legislative actions on both the state and federal level are providing mandates for the conversion of vehicles to clean fuels and incentives for the purchase of dedicated clean-fuvehicles. el The 1992 Utah Legislature passed a number of bills that encourage .SP- use, including clean-vehicle-fu- el tax credits for those who convert to clean fuels or purchase dedicated cleanfuel vehicles. gets about the same number of miles per gallon as a gasoline vehicle, its overall operating cost is less. Natural gas causes less wear The 1990 amendments to the and tear on engines and while deClean Air Act require the use of livering comparable power and clean fuels by fleets in cities with severe air quality problems. Incenperformance. There are already more than tives and mandates for the use of 30,000 NGVs on U.S. roads, with cleanfuel vehicles are also part of a total of more than 700,000 the National Energy Policy curworldwide. Vehicles built to run rently before Congress. on gasoline can easily be converted In the coming years, there will to run on natural gas. In addition, America's Big Three automakers be an increasing number of vehiare cles running on alternative fuels. Ford, Chrysler and GMC And because of all its benefits, (Continued from Page 4) efficiency furnaces. If you replace an old furnace with a new model, you may have to reduce the size of the chimney and change venting materials to prevent corrosion from occurring due to excess cooling of the exhaust gases, and hook the furnace up to high-efficien- cy the house drain system to discharge condensed water. Cooler exhaust gases require the use of PVC pipe for venting. This makes it easier to install a natural gas furnace in an existing building that has no chimney. In many cases, a vent can be run through the nearest outside wall. Mountain Fuel offers financing for the purchase and installation of natural gas appliances, including furnaces. rate (APR) is 14 percent, and customers may finance up to $5,000. For more information, contact contractor your local or your Mountain Fuel office. gas vehicle (NGV) conversion lease program for fleet operators and individuals who want to convert vehicles to natural gas. A conversion costs approximately $3,000: the conversion kit costs $1,600, the fuel cylinder kit would cost about $42 per month. Maintenance is included in the lease charge. Q MEvnti. nvKV The Lennox Pulse 21 Furnace Leaves Others Out In The Cold. MM YTAPi ASSOCUTMM sri f y If you'd Skc to know dor about our new GE retractable dovndraft natural (at cooktop. and job it rcmodenog or Duudmg a new HOOK. KM) umXK AppuaOCE supply. Up bttermxmuin Wat's ttrrst wholesale distributor of kitchen appliance, Lower your home comfort bills by up to 50 with a Lennox Pulse 21 natural gas furnace. With technology, the Plus 21 Natural Gas Furnace delivers up to 96 cents worth of heat for every energy dollar spent. And that could save you as much as 50 off your heating bills this winter. Only furnace with the high-efficien- Good Housekeeping Seal --ss of Approval. K 1 32 GAS t T - 1 Rio Grande Appliance Supply Part City Locati 1890 Bonanza Dr. 64S8445 T7 cttn - ffl.WfJOX KA3U2AL 2 SHOWROOMS Salt Lake City Location 2975 So. West Temple 46&4040 i converted to run on natural gas can dramatically reduce the amount of major pollutants released into the air. 0. I BY DESIGN -. nat- costs $500-- $ 1 ,000, and installation costs $600-$85Leasing the tank only would cost $8-- $ 15 per month. Leasing the tank and conversion r . .A car engine cated NGVs. Dedicated natural ural gas will be the alternative fuel gas transit and school buses also of choice clean energy for the road ahead. are being produced. Mountain Fuel offers a natural state-licens- Authority, Amoco, Enron, Geneva Steel, the Bureau of Land Management, Provo City, Ogden City, Lease a vehicle conversion FURNACE: The annual percentage Fleets using NGVs include Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Airport BY DESIGN Call your local Lennox dealer for a free estimate today. t MEMBER. ROCKY MOUNTAIN GAS ASSOCIATION |