Mileage vs. safety? Number of natural gas car conversions explodes

The number of natural-gas tanks powering Utah vehicles has exploded this year.

Now state officials and clean-car advocates want to ensure the tanks don’t blow up, too, and that they pollute as little as intended.

Many of the vehicles – including the nearly 700 that earned one-time tax breaks last year – are professionally equipped, safe and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Others are backyard jobs with worn tanks and faulty exhaust systems, endangering both motorists and the Wasatch Front’s air, Clean Cities Director Robin Erickson said. Those who buy old tanks or don’t install kits properly are creating car bombs.

Salt Lake Tribune