United States Congressman Dan Boren successfully amended the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010 in the U.S. House of Representatives to develop criteria for the safe installation of high-pressure tanks used in alternative fuel buses.

   According to Boren, the 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. The politician explains that 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 because improper installations can create issues with overall safety, and that is why development of failure and best practices criteria is essential.

   The underlying bill provides USD 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 USD 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.