Natural gas vehicle industry trade group NGVAmerica says its recommendations found their way into a recently reissued proposal from the Texas Department of Public Safety that addresses safety inspections for NGVs.
The group says the central issue was a proposed requirement that NGV owners provide written proof from a certified inspector or installer stating that an NGV's compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders complied with federal safety standards. This written proof would then have to be supplied to the Texas official performing the state safety inspection.
NGVAmerica had submitted comments to the Department of Public Safety noting that the information did not necessarily need to come in the form of a written report from an inspector – rather, in many cases, Texas inspectors could refer to existing labels attached to equipment on the NGVs. The group also commented that ‘a separate inspection by a certified inspector or installer should not be necessary if the OEM or aftermarket conversion company has already provided written verification to the customer.’
The group says its recommendations are now a part of the proposed rule, which can be requested by calling (512) 424-5842.
