Most of the gas is in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Louisiana and Alaska. There are also large deposits of natural gas in Mexico and Canada, as well as the Middle East, Indonesia and the former Soviet Union. Alaskan and Canadian sources represent a secure and reliable supply to provide most of the balance of U.S. gas demand. Natural Gas as a Transportation Fuel Meets Federal Legislative Requirements 1. The federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 is a comprehensive environmental law designed to improve the air quality throughout the United States.
Pollutants monitored include ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
Areas of the country that exceed standards for these pollutants are called nonattainment areas. The EPA has designated the Las Vegas Valley as nonattainment for carbon monoxide and particulate matter. A significant portion of EPAct deals with alternative transportation fuels, requiring their use in certain fleets located in metropolitan areas with a 1980 population of 250,000 or more. Figure 1 summarizes the annual purchase requirements of alternative-fueled vehicles under EPAct. It should be noted that EPAct provides two opportunities for the Secretary of Energy to establish regulations requiring private fleet operators to begin using alternative fuels, with target dates set for 2002.