27 Million Americans - And All Their Auto Pollution - Will Be Hitting the Roads This Memorial Day Weekend

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2009 The American Automobile Association reports that nearly 27 million Americans will be hitting the road this year to celebrate Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer. That's good news for our nation's travel economy.

The bad news is that they are bringing a lot of air pollution with them on these holiday outings. The U.S. EPA lists on-road vehicles as the No. 1 source of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds pollution - all bad for our health and the environment.

President Obama's new mileage standards for cars are a positive step in reducing pollutants, but we need to do more.

America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) believes there is a home-grown answer available today: natural gas vehicles (NGVs). Cars, trucks and school buses can all be outfitted to use clean-burning compressed or liquefied natural gas. States like California and Utah are implementing policies to encourage the expansion of the NGV fueling station network. In fact, according to the California Air Board, NGVs can reduce air pollution by 20 to 30 percent compared to gasoline or diesel engines. That would certainly lighten our load for the holidays.

"Natural gas is here now to help America reach her energy goals. It's not only a clean fuel for electricity, but it's also a proven, clean alternative fuel for transportation with the ability to significantly diminish environmental impacts of daily and holiday travel," explained Questar Corporation COO Chuck Stanley.

"And because 98 percent of the natural gas used in the U.S. is produced in North America, every gallon-equivalent of natural gas used in American vehicles is one less gallon of foreign oil that needs to be imported to the U.S.," continued Stanley.

Chuck Stanley is a member of America's Natural Gas Alliance and COO of Questar Corporation - a leading proponent of NGVs and owner of natural gas filling stations in Utah and Wyoming.

America's Natural Gas Alliance is an education and advocacy organization formed by 25 of the nation's leading independent natural gas exploration and production companies. ANGA members comprise over 40 percent of the total U.S. natural gas supply.