(1) To the maximum extent possible, motor vehicles subject to the control of a transportation district established under ORS 267.510 to 267.650 having a city within the district with a population exceeding 30,000 shall use alternative fuel for operation.
(2) To the extent that it is economically and technologically possible, all motor vehicles purchased or leased by the board of the district shall be capable of using alternative fuel. However, this subsection does not apply if the vehicle will be primarily used in an area that does not have and cannot reasonably be expected to establish an alternative fuel refueling station or if the district is unable to secure financing sufficient to cover additional costs resulting from the requirement of this subsection.
(3) Prior to July 1 of each year, the board of the district shall submit an annual report to the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Department of Energy. The report shall contain at a minimum:
(a) The number of purchases and leases of vehicles capable of using alternative fuel;
(b) The number of conversions of vehicles from the use of gasoline or diesel fuel to the use of alternative fuel;
(c) The quantity of each type of alternative fuel used; and
(d) Any other information required by the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Department of Energy to carry out their functions under subsection (4) of this section.
(4) If the Department of Environmental Quality and State Department of Energy determine that the use of alternative fuel required by this section has been effective in reducing total annual motor vehicle emissions in the district, the motor vehicles subject to the control of the board of the district shall be capable of using alternative fuel, to the maximum extent possible.
(5) The board of the district shall comply with all safety standards established by the United States Department of Transportation in the conversion, operation and maintenance of vehicles using alternative fuel.
(6) As used in this section, “alternative fuel” means any fuel determined by the Department of Environmental Quality to be less polluting than conventional gasoline, including but not necessarily limited to reformulated gasoline, low sulfur diesel fuel, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, ethanol, any fuel mixture containing at least 85 percent methanol or ethanol and electricity. [1991 c.730 §4; 2003 c.186 §13]
(Formation)
Section: Previous 267.395 267.400 267.410 267.420 267.430 267.510 267.515 267.517 267.520 267.530 267.540 267.550 267.560 267.570 267.575 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008