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GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Issue 26 October 2003

http://www.gsa.gov/vehiclepolicy Vehicle

Views

In This Issue

EPA Clears the Air With AFVs 

and Hybrids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Farewell to Bill Rivers. . . . . . . . . . . 3

vehicle.policy@gsa.gov . . . . . . . . . 3

Gotham City is 

Not Just For Batman. . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Meetings With a Purpose. . . . . . . . 8

MTV Has a New Director . . . . . . . 9

Who is Russ Pentz?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Lower Columbia River

FedFleet Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

From the West Coast. . . . . . . . . . . 10

DOE Awards $75M for Advanced

Hydrogen Fuel Cell R&D . . . . . . . 11

Retread Tire Buyers Guide. . . . . . 11

U.S. Military Facilities

Increasingly Fill-Up With 

Biodiesel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Mammoth Cave National Park. . 14

Asleep at the Wheel?. . . . . . . . . . . 15

NHTSA Announces “Ease of Use”

Child Safety Seat Ratings. . . . . . 16

Every Driver is Distracted Some of

the Time, Study Shows . . . . . . . . 18

FedFleet 2004 Announcement . . . 19

EPA Clears the Air 

With AFVs and Hybrids

By Melvin Joppy, National Fleet Manager, 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

With more than 55,000

alternatively fueled

vehicles (AFVs) used

daily by federal agencies, the U.S.

government is doing its part to

reduce harmful air emissions and

reliance on fossil fuels across the

country. The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) is no

exception. The Agency is living its

mission of protecting human health

and the environment by driving

hundreds of AFVs and increasing the

fuel efficiency of its fleet with hybridelectric vehicles.

AFVs such as those powered by

compressed natural gas (CNG),

ethanol, and/or electricity are more

fuel-efficient and emit less carbon

monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other

air pollutants than traditional

vehicles. Already, more than 300 of

the approximately 1,000 vehicles in

EPA’s national fleet are AFVs or

other advanced technology vehicles

(i.e., hybrid-electrics). 

Continued on page 2
2

AFVs and Hybrids from page 1

VehicleViews

“EPA is committed to reducing the

environmental impact of our vehicles,

through a combination of cleanerburning fuels and more efficient

vehicles,” said Morris X. Winn,

Assistant Administrator for

Administration and Resources

Management. The Agency’s

commitment to a “green fleet” starts

all the way at the top; vehicles in

EPA’s executive motor pool, which is

used by the Administrator, Deputy

Assistant Administrator, and other

senior officials, run exclusively on

alternative fuels.

Not only do AFVs and hybrids help

reduce pollution, but they help EPA

and other federal agencies meet the

mandates of the Energy Policy Act of

1992 (EPAct) and Executive Order

(E.O.) 13149, Greening the

Government Through Federal Fleet

and Transportation Efficiency. EPAct

requires that 75 percent of new

vehicles acquired by federal

agencies be AFVs. E.O. 13149 aims to

ensure that the federal government

demonstrates leadership in reducing

fuel consumption within its vehicle

fleet. It requires that, by fiscal year

(FY) 2005, federal agencies reduce

fuel usage by 20 percent, increase

miles per gallon by 3 percent, and

use alternative fuels in AFVs the

majority (at least 51 percent) of the

time. 

“From FY 2000 through FY 2002, EPA

exceeded EPAct’s AFV requirement

by 10 percent or more,” said Melvin

Joppy, EPA’s national fleet manager

(see chart). “And we’re on track to

do the same for FY 2003.” Also by the

end of FY 2002, EPA had increased

average fleet miles per gallon by 2

miles per gallon from the FY 1999

baseline.

Many of EPA’s AFVs are flexiblefuel vehicles, which can run on any

combination of alcohol and gasoline

by sensing the percentage of alcohol

in the fuel tank and adjusting the

engine’s parameters accordingly.

These vehicles use ethanol blends

such as E-85, or 85 percent ethanol

and 15 percent gasoline, to lower

carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide

emissions. EPA’s law enforcement

divisions use flexible-fuel Chevrolet

Tahoe sport utility vehicles for a

variety of tasks, including training,

transporting prisoners, responding to

environmental hazards (e.g., spills),

and collecting and transporting

evidence and equipment. 

Another type of fuel efficient vehicle

in EPA’s fleet runs on CNG and

comes in two varieties: dedicated

vehicles, which use only natural gas;

and dual-fuel vehicles, which have

two tanks—one for CNG and one for

unleaded gasoline. The Agency

started using CNG in its

Headquarters’ shuttle buses in

January 2002. The buses, which

shuttle thousands of employees

between EPA’s buildings in

Washington, D.C., and Crystal City,

Virginia, helped reduce EPA’s

petroleum use by more than 5,000

gallons that year—a 16 percent

decrease from the FY 1990

baseline—and reduce smog in the

metropolitan Washington area. 

AFVs are also used by EPA mobile

labs sent out by the National Vehicle

Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL)

in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Some of the

regional offices have leased hybrid

vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius,

with a positive response from

regional employees. EPA has also

started installing electric vehicle

“refueling” stations, including one at

its new Science and Technology

Center laboratory in Kansas City,

Kansas. The Agency is now planning

to open a state-of-the-art hydrogen

fueling station at NVFEL. The station

will service fuel cell vehicles in

southeast Michigan, particularly

those included in the

EPA/DaimlerChrysler/UPS fuel cell

delivery vehicle initiative. ■

“Actual” indicates the

percentage of EPA’s

fleet vehicle

acquisitions that were

AFVs. “Target”

indicates the

requirements under

EPAct.

EPA’s AFV Acquisition: 1999-2002
VehicleViews

3

Bill Rivers will leave GSA on

January 3, 2004. The MTV

staffers, past and present, will

miss Bill dearly. When we think

of Bill we think of a person who

is forthcoming, intelligent,

caring, fun, congenial, tall, happy,

friendly, talkative, responsible,

detail-oriented, fearless,

adventurous, supportive, a family

man, dedicated, gregarious,

pragmatic, loyal, and a Fleet

Expert. Bill was an outstanding

leader! 

From All Your

Friends and

Associates:

“Have a 

Healthy, 

Happy

Retirement!”

Federal Fleet Community:

I will be retiring at the end of this calendar year after 33 years of Federal

service. Twenty-eight of those years have been in the Federal fleet. During

the last seven years, I have been fortunate enough to be the Director for

the Federal Vehicle Policy Division at GSA. That has given me a wonderful

opportunity to meet and work with fleet professionals throughout the

Federal Government. It has also shown me how dedicated and talented

fleet managers are – no matter what the challenges, fleet managers

throughout the country have found ways to keep the wheels rolling. 

While I will miss several things about the Government when I retire, the

one that will matter the most are the friendships that I developed with you

all during the years. You have helped me enjoy my time here and made me

into a better person. My thanks to you all. I can leave with a good feeling

because I know that the Federal fleet is in good hands. My successor, Russ

Pentz, and the rest of his division will carry on our tradition of working with

all parties to develop collaborative solutions to common problems.

Thanks,

Bill Rivers

How do I obtain a Standard Form (SF)

97, Certificate to Obtain Title to a

Vehicle?

The SF 97 is available from GSA’s

Federal Supply Service. It consists

of a four-part, carbon interleaved,

continuous form. This is an

accountable form, serially numbered,

and a controlled item. The National

Stock Number (NSN) is 7540-00-634-

4047. Currently, it is $48.65 per one

hundred ordered. You can order it by

calling (817) 978-2051 or online at

www.gsaadvantage.gov. For

questions concerning this form,

please call (817) 978-2508 or 

(817) 978-8680. ■

vehicle.policy@gsa.gov

E-mail the Experts in the Federal Vehicle Policy Division
VehicleViews

4

Gotham City is 

Not Just For Batman

By Laurie S. Feld, FedFleet 2004 Project Manager

The Federal Fleet Policy Council, the GSA Office of

Governmentwide Policy, and GSA Fleet are proud

to bring the premier federal fleet event of 2004 to a

city like no other – New York City. New York City is known

by a lot of nicknames – The Big Apple, The City That Never

Sleeps, Gotham City, etc. But in 2004, it will be The Federal

Fleet City!

FedFleet 2004 will provide three full days of training.

Your registration fee includes:

• Opening Session

• Manufacturers’ Panel

• Keynote Speaker Presentation

• Awards Ceremony (EPAct Award & Fleet Manager of

the Year Awards)

• Closing Ceremony

• Shuttle Bus Transportation to & from the Sheraton &

Javits Center

• Ample opportunities to network

• 48 WorkshopTraining Sessions

• Exhibit Hall

• Breakfast / lunch / AM & PM refreshment breaks on

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

• Two evening receptions

• FAST/Fleet Report
VehicleViews

5

There will be something for everyone at all levels and at all

positions. There will be a lot of information to learn –

innovative fleet management information geared toward

the future that will help you do your best everyday. 

The improvements and ideas you’ll learn will positively

impact how you perform your job.

Come network with your fellow fleet professionals from

federal, state, local, and foreign governments as well as

the private sector. Share your experiences with others.

Learn from others’ knowledge and skills. Exchange

information, ask challenging questions, and make

invaluable contacts.

The FedFleet workshops and exhibits will help you keep

up with new fleet information, technology, and trends. 

We have expanded the number of exhibit hall hours! You’ll

have 17 hours to visit with exhibitors and discuss your

specific needs. You’ll walk through a hall full of the

products, services, and emerging electronic technologies

needed for efficient and effective fleet operation and

management. The exhibitors can help you resolve the

problems you are facing and help you meet the challenges

of tomorrow. You’ll learn solutions to industry-wide

obstacles.

The workshop speakers are experienced fleet

professionals who will share their knowledge with you and

provide concrete examples and valuable information.

They’ll help you meet your individual challenges and

industry-wide obstacles and remain competitive in our

rapidly changing world.

Some of the workshop sessions we are planning for you

are:

• What’s the “411” on Safe Driving?

• Understanding the True Cost of Motor Vehicle

Crashes

• Ask the Expert Q-and-A Panel

• Automotive Trends & Their Impact on Your

Bottom Line

• You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar on These Cost

Effective Techniques

• Finding the Right Balance Between Supply &

Demand

• Roadmap for New Kids on the Block

• Intro to Fleet Management

• Accident/Tort Claims

• GSA Fleet (1 – 7)

• GSA Automotive (1 – 3) 

• Hydrogen – Will it Power Vehicles in the Future?

• Fuels Available Now to Power Vehicles For the

Future

• New York State’s Green Fleet – An Example to

Learn From

• Freedom Car Fuel Cells & Infrastructure

Technologies

• Hybrid Vehicles Are Here to Stay – Get Used to

Seeing More of Them

• How to Apply for AFV Grant Money From the U.S.

Department of Energy

• DoD Alt Fuel Workshop

• How to do Business With the Federal

Government–Special Workshop for Exhibitors

• Regulations/Legislation

• FAST/Fleet Report

FedFleet 2004: The Road to the Future is Now

The Fourth National Federal Fleet Manager Workshop and Information Fair

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

New York, New York July 20 – 22, 2004

Continued on page 7
VehicleViews

6

Judy shows attendees how to embrace change creatively and with

humor. She provides tools and strategies to face the many challenges

of change, and to take those challenges and make them into

opportunities. Judy talks about how change is a part of the cycle of

life. We can ignore it, run from it, or embrace it as part of the

adventure of life and have a good laugh. Judy will also show you how

to turn problems into punch lines and resolve conflict as you face

the stressors in life and work. Her “Don’t get mad, get funny

philosophy” will inspire you to deal with stressful issues with a sense

of humor, rather than a sense of desperation.

The very entertaining Ms. Judy Carter

will present our keynote presentation,

“Embracing Change and Laughing Your

Way Out of Stress”.

Mr. Erik Wahl will present two very

unique and uplifting personal

development workshop sessions entitled

“The Art of Vision”.

As the landscape for business continues to change, a clear vision is

the key to successfully navigating tomorrow’s unchartered waters.

All organizations can better embrace the future by becoming more

innovative. The Art of Vision is a program specifically designed to

utilize unconventional wisdom, identify roadblocks to success,

and build a vision for the future. Using his incredible artistic skills

as a vehicle and by breaking apart traditional thinking, Erik channels

success strategies and explores new levels of vision and performance

through creativity. Discover how you can sharpen your creative skills

and achieve extraordinary results. Identify a personal style for

inspiring yourself and others to rethink vision and purpose. 

The principles of this program will redefine the role of a leader as an

artist as well as an architect. 

SPECIAL PRESENTERS
VehicleViews

7

The Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers is our

headquarter hotel (www.sheraton.com/newyork). To make

your reservation, call 212-581-1000 and ask for the group

rate for FedFleet 2004. The prevailing per diem rate is

being offered to both federal and non-federal

participants. This rate is available from check-in on July

14th through check-out on July 26th to accommodate

those who want to spend extra time in the area. We

strongly encourage you to make your reservations soon!

On-line attendee and exhibitor registration is available at

www.fedfleet.org. It’s quick, easy, and convenient so

don’t delay...register today!

Please check back often to www.fedfleet.org for

important information and updates. We continually update

the website as new developments occur and new

information is available. For example, you can find helpful

details about:

• the overall agenda

• workshop titles, descriptions, and speakers

• registered exhibitors, their booth space number, and

location

• ground transportation options to and from the airport

• free shuttle bus transportation between the Sheraton

and Javits Center (schedule of service and pick-up and

drop-off points)

• information on fun and exciting things to do in your free

time and links to www.nycvisit.com (the NYC &

Company Convention and Visitors Bureau website) and

www.newyorksightseeing.com (the website for Gray

Line New York Sightseeing)

If you have not received information in the mail about

FedFleet 2004, please e-mail your mailing address to

help@fedfleet.org and we will add you to our mailing list.

FedFleet 2004 is shaping-up to be a wonderful event and a

worthwhile and quality training opportunity. It will be a

memorable event in an extraordinary city! Come a few

days early or stay a few days longer, take advantage of the

special hotel rate, and enjoy your stay in New York City.

FedFleet is for the federal fleet community and your

agency’s participation makes a difference and matters to

us. We appreciate your continued support! 

Please spread the word to all your colleagues.

See YOU in the Big Apple in July 2004!

And remember...

“The Road to the Future is Now” 

and ALL roads lead to New York, New York!

The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

This modern glass building on the Hudson was designed by

I.M. Pei to give New York a facility for large trade shows and

expositions. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is located

on Manhattan's westside from 34th to 39th Sts off 11th Ave. and

has 814,400 square feet of exhibit space. The Center is host to

over 90 major trade shows and conventions each year including:

the NY International Boat Show, the International Hotel/Motel

& Restaurant Show, Internet World, and the New York

International Auto Show. Completed in 1986, it is New York

City's only convention center and large exhibition space

bringing thousands of visitors to Manhattan's west side..

GOTHAM CITY from page 5
VehicleViews

8

Meetings With a Purpose

By Laurie S. Feld, FedFleet 2004 Project Manager

• It’s convenient – the meeting space

is provided free of charge and a

FedFleet Planner will assist you

free of charge.

• It’s advantageous – your associates,

from headquarters, regional, and

field office levels, will already be in

attendance at FedFleet. Why not

make the most of your time

together? 

• It’s cost-effective – you’ll save on

travel and training dollars.

• It’s worthwhile – your agency can

readily plan policy and operational

strategies, exchange information,

and discuss fleet issues relevant to

your specific agency.

• It’s easier and less expensive than

holding an agency meeting on your

own.

Just ask the following agencies that

held on-site meetings at past FedFleet

events: GSA Fleet, Immigration and

Naturalization Service, National

Aeronautics and Space

Administration, U.S. Army, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, U.S.

Department of Energy, U.S. Forest

Service, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S.

Navy.

The meeting space is at the beautiful

Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers

(the FedFleet 2004 headquarter hotel)

located at 811 7th Avenue (on 53rd

Street).

Space is available on dates and times

before and after FedFleet. Space is

limited and is assigned on a firstcome, first-serve basis. 

Please submit the following

information in writing to

laurie.feld@gsa.gov:

• Agency name

• Point of Contact Name, E-mail,

Phone Number, Mailing Address,

Fax Number

• Estimated Number of Meeting

Attendees

• Preferred Date and Time of Meeting

• Room Set-up Style (rooms will be

set-up in classroom style unless

otherwise noted)

Your agency is responsible for food

and beverage and audiovisual

equipment (if needed). These items are

arranged directly with the Sheraton.

Please contact Mr. Angel Cueto at:

angel_cueto@sheraton.com 

or 212-841-6463. 

We realize the success of the past

three FedFleet events was directly

attributable to the agency support

provided by the federal fleet

community. And your agency’s

willingness to participate in FedFleet

2004 will help ensure its success next

year. YOUR participation will make a

difference!

Your continued support and

participation are much appreciated! ■

I

know what you’re thinking...not

another meeting! But this one is

different. So, before you skip to the

next article, please consider this

special opportunity.

FedFleet 2004 is happy to continue the

tradition of providing free meeting

room space to agencies that want to

hold an on-site agency meeting at next

year’s event. Come and get it!

You’ll be sitting down face-to-face

with associates from your agency from

all across the country (and in some

cases all across the world). 

You know there are important fleet

issues that need to be discussed and

decisions that need to be made in a

timely manner. The world of federal

fleet operation and management is

changing rapidly and it’s important to

keep your associates abreast of these

changes and decide on ways for your

agency to handle these changes.

Here are a few more reasons why you

should have an on-site agency

meeting.
VehicleViews

9

Who is 

Russ Pentz?

Russell Pentz (Russ) was

previously the Fleet

Administrator for the

Immigration and Naturalization

Service (INS). The INS fleet consists

of over 19,000 vehicles and other

equipment in support of four major

law enforcement activities worldwide.

This includes the U.S. Border Patrol,

one of the largest, daily-use off-road

fleets in the world. Major functions

include the administration of a multifund fleet replacement budget of over

$100 million, fleet financial

management, vehicle acquisitions of

over 3,000 vehicles annually, vehicle

disposals, vehicle maintenance fleet

policy, and fleet operations. He was

also responsible for the economical

operations of several cutting-edge

partnerships with Federal Prison

Industries including three vehicleretrofitting factories and a

state-of-the-art Federal Fleet

Management Service. He has also

worked closely with other Federal law

enforcement and administrative

Fleets to help insure the economical

management of the Federal Fleets. 

Before INS, Russ was the Assistant

Regional Fleet Manager for the

General Services Administration’s

(GSA), National Capital Region.

During this time he traveled

nationally as the “Fleet Management

Instructor” for the GSA’s National

Training Center. He also served in

the U.S. Army and as a fulltime

technician for the D.C. Air National

Guard. He has previous experience

as an aerospace ground equipment

technician, power production

technician, vehicle mechanic, vehicle

maintenance inspector, maintenance

manager, vehicle operations

manager, and motor pool manager.

His wide-range of fleet management

experiences have culminated in a

career of over 30 years.

Russ is a graduate of Lincoln

Technical Institute and later returned

as an instructor.

Once a Gear-Head always a GearHead, and Russ still enjoys the art of

turning wrenches. This year he and

his “Hot-Rod Lincoln” landed a first

place trophy at the All Ford Nationals

in Carlisle Pennsylvania. 

Russ has been married to his wife

Debbie for 30 years and has two

wonderful children, Amy and Russell.

Amy is 22 years of age and a

schoolteacher in Aberdeen,

Maryland, and Russell is 20 years of

age and starting his 3rd year at the

University of Maryland, College Park

Campus. ■

MTV has a

New Director

I am honored to have been

recently hired as the Director of

the Federal Fleet Policy Division

(MTV) of GSA’s Office of

Governmentwide Policy.

This Division has played a vital

role in the Efficient and

Economical management of the

Federal Fleets. 

I am proud to have the

opportunity to work with the

Federal Fleet Policy Council to

help meet the needs of and guide

the Federal Fleet Managers at all

levels. I am especially excited to

be working with a dynamic group

of professionals within the

Division that is always on the

cutting edge of issues that effect

our day-to-day operations. 

I look forward to working with

you in accomplishing great things

for the future of the Federal Fleets. 

Russ Pentz

Director of Federal Fleet Policy

Russell “Russ” Pentz
The Lower Columbia River

FedFleet Council Chapter was

established in the Portland,

Oregon/Vancouver, Washington area

on March 2, 2000. The steering

committee members immediately

became involved in promoting the

participation and communication of

Federal fleet managers in the area.

Goals for sharing information and

resources on vehicle fleet issues and

policies were determined.

Since its establishment, the Lower

Columbia River FedFleet Chapter has

VehicleViews

10

The six (6) Local FedFleet

Policy Council Chapters

(LFFPCC) members are still

going strong. All of our chapters:

Anchorage, Boise, Columbia River,

Golden Gate, Puget Sound and Salt

Lake City hold regular quarterly

meetings to discuss, build

consensus and resolve local

Federal fleet issues. 

By the time this issue of our Vehicle

Views Newsletter is published, we

will have added another LFFPCC in

Fairbanks, Alaska. During a joint

meeting between GSA and the

Anchorage LFFPCC that was held

in Fairbanks, Alaska on April 24,

2003, Federal activities located in

Fairbanks expressed a strong

interest in establishing a LFFPCC

in Fairbanks. As a follow-up to

those discussions, our seventh

(7th) LFFPCC was established in

Fairbanks on August 27, 2003. 

The addition of this chapter is

another example of our continuing

effort to build stronger

partnerships, add valuable and real

world experiences to the processes

of making Federal fleet policy

decisions both in the present and

the future. Our FedFleet partner’s

input is one of our most valuable

information gathering processes,

that goes into developing more

user-friendlier Federal fleet vehicle

policies. ■

From the West Coast

By Nate Reed, West Coast Representative, 

Federal Vehicle Policy Division, Office of Governmentwide Policy,

U.S. General Services Administration

had quarterly chapter meetings with

good participation from the local

Federal fleet managers and vehicle

operators. The Executive Order 13149,

promoting the use of AFVs, re-refined

oil, retread tires, and the reduction of

fuel consumption has been the subject

of many lively discussions. Updates of

current and future AFV fueling sites

have been provided as well as

notification of upcoming training

opportunities, conferences and

workshops.

The Lower Columbia River

FedFleet Chapter

By: Carol Barger, GSA Fleet Service Representative & Chairperson,Lower

Columbia River FedFleet Policy Council 

The quarterly chapter meetings have

included tours of plants and have

featured many expert guest speakers

discussing the benefits of retread

tires, re-refined oil, AFVs, biodiesel,

CNG, and hybrid vehicles. Topics of

interest also included speakers from

GSA’s Accident Management Center

and the GSA Remarketing Team (sale

disposal procedures).

Our last major event was held in April

2003. The FedFleet Chapter partnered

with GSA in providing a highly

successful “Greening the

Government” seminar in Salem, OR.

Speakers included representatives

from the Clean Cities Coalition, World

Energy (biodiesel), Star Oil (biodiesel),

NW Natural Gas (CNG), Chrysler,

Ford (AFVs), and the Retread Tire

Bureau. ■
11

on the GREENfront

WASHINGTON, DC - Secretary of

Energy Spencer Abraham today

announced the selection of 13 firms

and educational institutions in twelve

states to receive $75 million in costshared awards to fund new research in

advanced fuel cell technology for

vehicles, buildings and other

applications.

Combined with recent awards to an

additional 11 firms and universities in

eight states for $21 million in hydrogen

storage, production, and sensor

technologies, the Department of

Energy (DOE) has awarded a total of

$96 million in new awards in support of

the President’s FreedomCAR and

Hydrogen Fuel Initiatives. Several

additional solicitations are in process

or planned that address other key

hydrogen technologies.

“In his 2003 State of the Union

Address, President Bush launched his

Hydrogen Fuel Initiative by proposing

$1.2 billion over five years in research

funding to enable America to lead the

world in developing clean, hydrogenpowered automobiles that would free

us from our dependence on foreign

petroleum,” Secretary Abraham said.

“The projects selected today will

enable us to move forward to carry out

the President’s vision of a clean and

efficient energy future.”

These projects are integral to DOE’s

commitment to research, develop, and

validate hydrogen storage and fuel cell

technologies. Hydrogen technology will

play a major role in enabling our nation

to:

• Dramatically reduce dependence on

foreign oil. 

• Promote the use of diverse,

domestic, and sustainable energy

resources. 

• Reduce carbon emissions from

energy production and consumption. 

• Increase the reliability and

efficiency of electricity generation. 

The projects will enhance the nation’s

ability to achieve the FreedomCAR

goal of producing vehicles that are

more efficient and cleaner than today’s

vehicles. In particular, the projects on

Hydrogen Storage technologies

support DOE’s priority to develop

methods to safely store hydrogen to

enable at least a 300 mile vehicle range

- a critical requirement for successful

vehicle commercialization.

Fuel cell research will primarily focus

on overcoming technical barriers to

commercialization, including durability,

high costs, heat utilization, and

catalyst development. Hydrogen

technology research will focus on

overcoming the technical barriers of

storage capacity and cost, along with

improving life cycle cost and energy

efficiency, improving methods of

hydrogen production, and sensors for

detecting hydrogen.

DOE will negotiate cost-shared

agreements with the 24 firms and

educational institutions for a total of

approximately $136 million ($96 million

government and $40 million applicant

cost sharing).

Media Contact(s): Jill Vieth, 202/586-

4940, Tom Welch, 202/586-5806. ■

DOE Awards $75 M for Advanced

Hydrogen Fuel Cell R&D

Supports President's FreedomCAR 

and Hydrogen Fuel Intitiatives

Retread Tire

Buyers Guide

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contains the names of retreaders

throughout the U.S., Canada and

many other countries. Each

listing also includes the

complete street address,

telephone number and the type of

tires retreaded by the dealer.

The TRIB Retread Tire Buyers

Guide can be viewed on the TRIB

web site, www.retread.org, or

printed copies can be obtained

by contacting the Tire Retread

Information Bureau toll free from

anywhere in North America at

888-473-8732, by e-mail:

info@retread.org, or by writing to

TRIB, 900 Weldon Grove, Pacific

Grove, CA 93950 USA. ■
12

AFVsuccess stories

U.S. Military Facilities

Increasingly Fill Up With Biodiesel 

Alternative Fuel Helps Strengthen U.S. Energy

Security, Protect the Environment 

maintenance issues. I asked the

bases to contact me with their

experiences, negative or positive,

with biodiesel. I received only

positive feedback.” 

Most of the military installations

using biodiesel obtain it through the

Defense Energy Support Center

(DESC), which coordinates the

federal government’s fuel purchases.

“DESC is the largest single

purchaser of biodiesel in this

country,” said Pam Serino of DESC.

“We've been procuring B20 for our

administrative vehicles for three

years. For the contract period 2003-

2004 we have requirements totaling

5.2 million gallons at

numerous military and

civilian locations throughout the

country. B20 is the

easiest way for the federal

government to meet the

requirements of the Energy Policy

Act, and we have found B20 to

perform equal to petroleum-based

diesel fuel while reducing toxic

chemical emissions that pollute our

environment.”

Dozens of military installations use

biodiesel nationwide, including:

• U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp

Lejeune, NC: Has used biodiesel

for about a year in approximately

300 to 400 pieces of equipment --

buses, caterpillar tractors,

bulldozers, motor graters, etc.

They currently use about 147,800

gallons of B20 a year. 

• U.S. Marine Corps Air Station,

Yuma, AZ: Has used B20 since

January 2002 and are currently

using 7,600 gallons a month. They

use biodiesel in all dieselpowered, government owned,

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – From the

U.S. Marine Corps Base in Camp

Lejeune, North Carolina to Everett

Naval Station in the Puget Sound

area of Washington, military

installations across the country are

choosing to use biodiesel blends in

their diesel-powered vehicles.

Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning fuel

made from renewable fats or

vegetable oils that can help increase

U.S. energy security by reducing

dependence on foreign sources of oil.

Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel

(B100) or can be blended at any level

with petroleum diesel. It can be used

in diesel engines with few or no

modifications. The U.S. Army, Navy,

Air Force and Marines all use B20, a

mixture of 20 percent biodiesel and 80

percent diesel, at different bases and

stations throughout the country. 

Of the four branches, the U.S. Marine

Corps uses B20 at the most

locations. 

“We use biodiesel to help us meet

our federal alternative fuel

requirements, to reduce our

petroleum fuel consumption

to meet the Executive Order

directing the government to

do so, and on a third level it

is just the right thing to do,”

said Tim Campbell,

Headquarters Marine Corps

GME Program Manager.

“We’ve had no reported
VehicleViews

13

non-tactical commercial vehicles

such as trucks and forklifts. 

• Scott Air Force Base, Illinois:

Located about 30 miles east of St.

Louis, serves as headquarters for

12 Air Mobility Command (AMC)

bases throughout the nation. Two

AMC bases currently use B20:

Scott AFB has used B20 since

April 2001 and uses about 75,000

gallons annually. McChord AFB

(Tacoma, Washington) has used

approximately 33,000 gallons since

October 2002.

• Air Force Space Command,

Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

Springs, CO: Five Air Force Space

Command bases use B20:

Peterson (Colorado Springs, CO);

Vandenberg (Lompoc, CA); FE

Warren (Cheyenne, WY);

Malmstrom (Great Falls, MT);

Patrick (Cocoa Beach, FL). They

have been using biodiesel since

December 2001. “We have taken a

leadership position in the Air

Force in the alternative fuel arena,

issuing some type of alternative

product at all of our major units,”

said Mr. Chuck McGarvey, Air

Force Space Command’s fuels

manager. “We must be responsible

stewards of our natural resources,

leaving behind a clean

environment for our children and a

nation not dependent on foreign

oil.” 

• Everett Naval Station, Everett,

Washington: Located in the Puget

Sound area, this station has used

about 50 thousand gallons of B20 a

year since 2001. The switch to

biodiesel was virtually seamless,

according to transportation

director Gary Passmore. “Older

equipment took a filter change, but

newer equipment needed nothing,”

he said. “It went so smooth that no

one really noticed.” 

• Fort Leonard Wood Army Base,

Missouri: Began using biodiesel

in March 2003. The base plans on

using about 115,000 gallons of B20

annually.

• U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base,

Albany, GA: Has used biodiesel

throughout the base for three

years in about 375 non-tactical

diesel vehicles including tractor

trailers, forklifts, three-ton trucks,

graders, farm tractors and in

emergency generators. The base

used 50,000-60,000 gallons of

biodiesel last year. “We love

biodiesel and have experienced no

problems whatsoever since

switching to the fuel three years

ago,” said Mike Elliott, GME Fleet

Manager. “We see biodiesel as a

way to buy American and

strengthen our national energy

security by reducing U.S.

dependence on foreign oil.” 

“The U.S. currently imports

approximately 60 percent of its oil --

of that, 800,000 barrels of oil a day

come from Iraq,” added National

Biodiesel Board (NBB) Executive

Director Joe Jobe. “We’re

jeopardizing our own national

security by being dependent on

foreign sources of oil. That’s why

biodiesel and the military are such a

natural fit. The military is proactively

addressing energy security by using

biodiesel and is setting a positive

example for the rest of the nation.”

Continued on page 14
VehicleViews

14

Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel

to have completed the rigorous

Health Effects testing required by

the Clean Air Act. Results show

biodiesel poses less of a risk to

human health than petroleum diesel.

The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA)

recently

released a comprehensive technical

report of biodiesel emissions data

that shows the exhaust emissions of

particulate matter from pure

biodiesel are about 47 percent lower

than overall particulate matter

emissions from diesel. Breathing

particulate has been shown to be a

human health hazard. Biodiesel

emissions also reduce by 80 to 90

percent potential cancer causing

compounds called Polycyclic

Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and

nitrated PAH. Biodiesel also reduces

emissions of total unburned

hydrocarbons, a

contributing factor to

smog and ozone, by about

68 percent. Carbon

monoxide is reduced by

about 48 percent. 

Biodiesel can be made

from any fat or vegetable

oil, such as soybean oil.

Soybean checkoff dollars,

through the United Soybean Board

and state soybean board checkoff

programs, have played a significant

role in developing the U.S. biodiesel

industry. Biodiesel has similar

horsepower, torque and BTU content

compared to petroleum diesel. It

offers excellent lubricity and higher

cetane than diesel fuel. Biodiesel is

registered with the EPA as a fuel and

fuel additive. About 300 major fleets

currently use biodiesel nationwide.

Readers can learn more about

biodiesel by visiting

http://www.biodiesel.org. 

Contact: Jenna Higgins at 1-800-841-

5849 ■

Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park: 100 percent of the park's vehicle fleet operates

on alternative fuels. Mini-vans, light truck, and sedans are bi-fuel vehicles that

can operate on E-85 (85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline) or E-10 (10/90

mix), and tractors, mowers, and maintenance equipment run on bio-diesel.

The park has 40 General Services Administration and 3 Department of

Interior vehicles. Forever Resorts, Mammoth Cave's concessionaire, with help

from the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition (KCFC), converted 6 tour buses to

propane (LPG).

The Kentucky Corn Growers Association and KCFC helped Mammoth Cave

obtain an ethanol convault fueling station, the first in the Department. KCFC

assisted the park in installation of a propane refueling station at Mammoth

Cave. The park has one E10 and one biodiesel dispensing station.

Contact: Jim Carroll at (270)-758-2180 ■

BIODIESEL from page 13
15

the SAFETYzone

I

t’s a common complaint in the

modern world; most of us,

overextended at trying to “do it

all” and “have it all,” are operating on

less than the optimal amount of sleep.

With full-time work, domestic duties,

a few minutes of exercise, and picking

up the kids from school, there just

aren’t enough hours in the day. 

And to make matters worse, more

productive hours are being “robbed”

from us because of the congestion on

many of our nation’s roadways that

are utilized well beyond their capacity.

Employees are sitting in long lines of

traffic and experiencing significant

travel delays as they commute to work

or drive for work. Many commuters

must factor in a “buffer index” to

allow extra time for the unexpected

delays. With the sluggish economy,

many organizations have tightened

their travel budgets requiring

employees to cutback on air travel

and drive to out-of-town meetings.

And what is the result of all of this

extra time on the road? Drowsy

drivers!

After a long day at work, sitting in

traffic just seems to make you even

more tired than you already were.

According to the National Sleep

Foundation, 51 percent of adults have

driven while drowsy and 17 percent

Asleep at the Wheel?

A Wake-Up Call for Drowsy Drivers

GSA plays it safe!

say they have fallen asleep behind the

wheel. 

Sleep is a critical factor in highway

safety. As Americans become more

sleep-deprived, the number of

crashes on our roadways involving

drowsy drivers is increasing. Fatigue

contributes to more than 100,000

crashes each year. The result is often

fatal for sleeping drivers and those in

the vehicle they hit. 

So where do we get the precious

extra hours we need to accommodate

our busy schedules? That’s right—

from the night—time that should be

reserved for seven to eight hours of

sleep. Our nightly appointment for

sleep should be at least as binding as

the commitments we make to

everything and everyone else in life.

Sleep is a biological requirement we

all need.

Most people who drive when drowsy

are not aware of it. If you’re tired, and

are in danger of falling asleep, you

cannot predict when a “mini” sleep

may occur and in 3.7 seconds, a car

going 55 miles per hour can travel the

length of a football field. There really

is no time for a “mini” snooze. On the

“roads more traveled” being an

attentive driver and looking out for the

driver who isn’t is increasingly

important. 

Fatigue slows your reaction time,

decreases awareness, impairs

judgment (just as alcohol or drugs)

and can lead to falling asleep at the

wheel. Taking over-the-counter or

prescription medications or drinking

alcohol, on top of being fatigued, will

seriously compound an already

dangerous situation.

The answer is simple: do not hit the

highway until you hit the hay for the

right amount of time, every night.

Fatigue is cumulative; cutting an hour

of sleep here and there can add up to

exhaustion sooner than you think, and

the only prescription is getting

regular good sleep. 

The Network of Employers 

for Traffic Safety (NETS) recently

developed Asleep at the Wheel? 

A Wake-Up Call for Employers, 

a CD-ROM packed with awareness

materials and information to help all

employees to be more alert behind

the wheel whether they drive for work

or to and from work. 

Founded in 1989, NETS is an

employer-led public/private

partnership dedicated to improving

the safety and health of employees,

their family members and members of

the communities in which they work

and live, by reducing the number of

traffic crashes that occur on and off

the job. To accomplish this, NETS

provides employers of all sizes with

effective programs, policies, best

practices and employer-led activities

related to traffic safety. ■
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

announced its initial set of ratings for child safety

seats based on their ease of use.

The first-ever results were released at a news conference

on June 11, 2003, in Washington involving NHTSA,

Consumers Union, and the Insurance Institute for

Highway Safety.

Under NHTSA’s new rating system, child safety seats –

including booster seats – are given an overall ease-of-use

rating at the “A,” “B,” or “C” level. Such letter grades are

also used to rate seats in each of five categories:

• Whether the seat is pre-assembled or requires

assembly after purchase. 

• Clarity of labeling attached to the seat. 

• Clarity of written instructions on the seat’s proper use. 

• Ease of securing a child in the seat. 

• Whether the seat has features that make it easier to

install in a vehicle. 

“The new rating system is not only helpful to consumers,

but also provides a strong market incentive to child seat

manufacturers to make further improvements to their

NHTSA Announces 

“Ease of Use” Child Safety Seat Ratings

VehicleViews

16
VehicleViews

17

products,” said NHTSA

Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge,

M.D. “Overall, the ratings are

positive, but there is room for

improvement. Ultimately, we hope all

seats will achieve an “A” rating.” 

To date, 68 seats have been rated by

NHTSA, representing about 95

percent of the seats available to

consumers. Convertible seats were

rated in both the rear-facing and

forward-facing mode and

combination seats were rated in both

the forward-facing and booster

modes. Thirty-nine overall “A”

ratings were given and 68 overall “B”

ratings were given. While no seat

received an overall “C” rating,

several received a “C” rating in one

or more individual rating categories. 

The new child safety seat ease-ofuse rating system is in response to

the Transportation Recall

Enhancement, Accountability, and

Documentation (TREAD) Act of

2000. 

Also at the news conference, the

three organizations said that the new

child safety seat system known as

“Lower Attachments and Tethers for

Children” (LATCH) is making child

safety seats easier to use, but there

are some implementation issues that

still need to be addressed. NHTSA,

Consumers Union and the Insurance

Institute for Highway Safety all

indicated that this system has made

child safety seats easier to use.

However, all expressed concern that

some new LATCH seats can be

difficult to install in certain vehicle

models. 

“With literally thousands of

combinations of vehicles and seats,

it is understandable that some

compatibility issues would arise,

particularly during the early years of

the LATCH system phase-in,” said

Dr. Runge, noting that NHTSA plans

to meet soon with manufacturers to

help identify and resolve any

remaining compatibility issues. 

Consumers can access a list of

current child safety seat ratings at

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/-

CSSRating. The ratings can be

obtained by calling the

NHTSA Office of Communications

and Consumer Information (202-366-

9550) or by phoning NHTSA’s toll

free Auto Safety Hotline (888-327-

4236). They can also be obtained by

writing to NHTSA Media Relations,

Room 5236, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590. ■
VehicleViews

18

All drivers -- yes, every one of

them -- engage in some kind

of distracting activity while

they are driving, according to

research funded by the AAA

Foundation for Traffic Safety and

performed by the University of North

Carolina Highway Safety Research

Center. And while cell phones are the

distraction people love to hate, other

distractions were far more prevalent

and could be more hazardous.

In the first such study of its kind,

researchers used in-car video

cameras to see how drivers behaved

when they were behind the wheel of

their own cars. The tapes showed

that distraction is an everyday

occurrence: Over three hours of

driving, all of the drivers were

distracted at some point, 90% by

something outside the car and 100%

by something inside the vehicle. 

“We found that people do adjust their

behavior to a certain extent,” says

Peter Kissinger, President of the

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

“They have a tendency to do

potentially distracting things while

their car is stopped.” Overall,

vehicles were stopped an average of

15.3% of the time they were in use, yet

70% of reading and writing, 34% of

grooming, and 25% of cell phone use

occurred while the vehicle was not

moving. 

“Around a quarter of all traffic

crashes are caused by distractions,

which annually account for 1.2 million

incidents,” Kissinger says. “People

often underestimate the seriousness

of distractions because not every

distraction leads to a crash. But if

you are distracted just when

someone pulls out in front of you,

your lack of attention can be

catastrophic.”

Research performed by the AAA

Foundation for Traffic Safety can be

found at:

http://www.aaafoundation.org/resour

ces/index.cfm?button=research. The

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is

an independent, publicly funded, 501

(c)(3) charitable research and

educational organization that was

established in 1947 by the American

Automobile Association. The AAA

Foundation’s mission is to prevent

traffic deaths and injuries by

conducting research into their causes

and by educating the public about

strategies to prevent crashes.

Contact person: Stephanie Faul, or

Fairley Washington at (202) 638-5944 ■

Every Driver is Distracted 

Some of the Time, Study Shows 

Provided by The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

The following chart shows the percentage of drivers who engaged in

the most common distracting activities while driving:

% of Subjects % of Total Time 

Reaching, leaning, etc. 97.1 3.8 

Manipulating music/audio controls 91.4 1.4 

Eating, drinking, etc. 71.4 4.6

Conversing 77.1 15.3

Grooming 45.7 0.3

Passenger 44.4 0.9

Reading or writing 40.0 0.7

Using cell phone 30.0 1.3

Smoking 7.1 1.6
The Road to the

Future is Now

See You in The Big Apple!

July 20 – 22, 2004

New York, New York

www.fedfleet.org
20

U.S. General Services Administration

GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Federal Vehicle Policy Division (MTV)

Washington, DC 20405

______________________________________

Official Business

Penalty For Private Use $300

First Class Mail

Postage and Fees Paid

GSA

Permit No. G-30

http://www.gsa.gov

VehicleViews

20

Federal Vehicle

Policy Division

(MTV)

The Federal Vehicle Policy

Division’s mission is to

ensure the effective and

efficient use of the Federal

Government’s 590,000 motor

vehicles and the expenditure of

close to $2 billion annually on fleet

operations through innovative

policies, adoption of best

practices, effective

communication, and leading edge

technologies.

Director

Russ Pentz

(202) 208-0572

Senior Analyst

John (Q) Adams

(202) 208-7631

Senior Analyst

Mike Moses

(202) 501-2507

Connie Aaron

(202) 208-7634

Laurie Feld

(202) 219-1821

Ed Lawler

(202) 501-3354

Jacquie Perry

(202) 501-3347

Stewart Randall

(202) 501-4469

Nate Reed

(501) 482-8904

Please address your questions or comments concerning Vehicle Views to

the editor: Jacquie C. Perry (202) 501-3347 or by e-mail to

Jacquie.Perry@gsa.gov

Graphic Design: Tom Pearlman

GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications