SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah House of Representatives on Feb. 5 overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at making it easier and cheaper to convert vehicles to run on compressed natural gas. 

Representatives voted 67-1 for HB70, which would allow industry-certified technicians to convert cars and would require safety and emissions checks every three years or 36,000 miles, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The bill now moves to the Utah Senate. 

The proposed rules seek to transfer natural-gas conversion regulation away from the federal EPA and into Utah state control. The bill's sponsor is Rep. Jack Draxler (R-North Logan), who has argued that current federal regulations are too burdensome. EPA officials do not oppose the state legislation, Draxler said. 

State control of regulating natural-gas conversions will mean cheaper options for Utah residents and a cleaner environment, Draxler told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Every tool available to us needs to be used when it comes to our air quality and when it comes to less reliance on foreign oil," he said. 

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