February 12, 2010
Honorable Congressman John Salazar
Grand Junction, Colorado
225 North 5th Street, STE 702
Grand Junction, CO 81501

Dear Congressman Salazar:
The West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association formally requests your office take an immediate, active role in helping make CNG vehicles a reality in America. We also request that your support starts in the Third Congressional District.

Traveling coast-to-coast in a compressed natural gas (“CNG”) vehicle is impractical. This impracticality is partially related to the absence of CNG fueling stations along the Third Congressional District’s portion of the I-70 corridor. In fact, the Third Congressional District serves as a national hindrance to CNG powered alternative fuel vehicles, and is a significant missing link related to national highway connectivity. Currently, several private and public sector initiatives are ongoing to assist in the problem, but we believe your attention to the matter is still warranted. While a lack of public CNG stations along I-70 may be a Third Congressional District limitation, the infrastructure gap has national implications.

This letter marks the launch of an effort called The West Slope COGA Missing Miles Initiative. The goal of the project is to develop visible public support from elected officials in Western Colorado. Active, visible, public support (starting with your office) may further create policy initiatives to assist in placing public CNG filling stations from Glenwood Springs to Price, Utah.

The West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association requests two items from your office. First, how specifically might you assist in making CNG vehicles a reality for our state and nation? What federal initiatives or transportation incentives might your office provide? Will you draft letters of support for ongoing public and private sector projects? And what is the official position of your office related to making CNG a meaningful part of America’s transportation fuel mix?

Second, we’d like to invite you to provide introductory remarks for the West Slope COGA Missing Miles Initiative Forum. This event will occur sometime in the summer of 2010. Business groups, elected officials and government entities throughout the Third Congressional district will appreciate your attendance, and WSCOGA will gladly select a date that fits within your travel schedule. The planning of this event awaits your response. Attached is a map of current Unites States CNG fueling stations. As you can see, the Third Congressional District is a missing link. We hope your office shares our vision for a CNG future, and we hope for your visible support of ongoing CNG projects. Helping close the missing mileage gap in the Third Congressional District will show your commitment to introducing a clean, abundant, domestic resource for a cleaner transportation sector in the future.

Your service to Colorado and the Third Congressional District is most appreciated and the West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association anxiously await your response.

 

Best Wishes,
David Ludlam
Executive Director
West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association