Environmental Concerns Should be Balanced in Expanded Use of Natural Gas, Official Says

ARLINGTON, Va. — The trucking industry should balance environmental considerations with growth in use of natural-gas engines, the head of an environmental group said.

Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, said that the boom in natural-gas production has the potential to be “a win-win for our country, the economy and the environment.”

Krupp spoke at a Thursday afternoon session at American Trucking Associations’ Summit on Natural Gas in Trucking here.

“Natural gas could be the opportunity we’re all looking for,” he said. “But there are some big questions that need to be addressed first.”

Krupp said that a lack of adequate data about greenhouse-gas leakage during natural-gas production makes the large investment needed for longhaul motor carriers to retool their fleets a “high-risk proposition.”

“None of us want to go down an expensive ride on a dead-end street,” he said.