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RCED-92-240R 1 (1992-07-24)

handle is hein.gao/gaobackcg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: United States GAO General Accounting Office Washington, D.C. 20548 Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division B-249435 July 24, 1992 The Honorable Philip R. Sharp Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Power Committee on Energy and Commerce House of Representatives The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV United States Senate 147153 On May 5, 1992, we briefed your representatives on our review of the experiences of alternative-fueled vehicle users and providers of alternative fuels. After the briefing and at a subsequent meeting, your representatives asked us to follow up on the following three additional issues: (1) the status of efforts to eliminate tunnel restrictions for gaseous-fueled vehicles in Baltimore, Boston, and New York; (2) the implications of Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations that require compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders to be recertified; and (3) the consistency of alternative-fuel tax benefits contained in section 1913 of H.R. 776 with other alternative-fuel provisions of the bill. This letter summarizes the information we obtained on these three issues. TUNNEL ACCESS RESTRICTIONS We are aware of no restrictions that prohibit gaseous-fueled vehicles from using tunnels in any areas of the country except for Baltimore, Boston, and New York City. Two years ago, New York City allowed CNG vehicles to use its four tunnels and two enclosed bridges, but it does not allow vehicles fueled by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or propane) to use these tunnels and bridges. Boston and Baltimore, with four and two tunnels respectively, prohibit both CNG- and LPG-fueled vehicles from using the tunnels. The agencies with regulatory authority over the tunnels and bridges in these three locations have recently supported relaxing their regulations that block access for gaseous- fueled vehicles. The agencies and CNG and LPG industry GAO/RCED-92-240R, Alternative Fuels Q~4/