Dear PEI Member:
The White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) E15 misfueling label
rule and has returned it to EPA. Approval by OMB is the final step in the misfueling mitigation rulemaking process. We are told that some announcement―perhaps
in the form of a press release once the EPA
Administrator signs the rule―could occur within the next several weeks. The
industry would have to wait a few weeks longer if EPA times its announcement
to coincide with the publication of its rule in the Federal Register.
What the pump label will say and how it will look
(size, color, warnings, etc.) is still unknown at this time. It's important
to note that several additional things have to happen before E15 can be sold
to the public. One large and time-consuming step is the registration and
certification of the fuel to meet ASTM D4806-10 standards. Sources close to
the process expect that this might take until the end of 2011 to complete.
NY STATE ANNOUNCES STAGE II ENFORCEMENT DISCRETION
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is
currently in the process of revising 6 NYCRR Part 230 which would repeal
Stage II vapor-recovery requirements for 3,000 gasoline dispensing
facilities in the New York metropolitan area and lower Orange County. On May
25, DEC issued an
enforcement discretion directive to relieve owners of gasoline
dispensing facilities of compliance with the Stage II requirements in 6
NYCRR 230.2 and 230.5, provided the facilities:
- Begin operation after January 1, 2011, and would
otherwise be required to install a new Stage II system;
- Become subject to Stage II requirements due to an
increase in throughput after January 1, 2011, and would otherwise be
required to install a new Stage II system; or
- Decommission existing Stage II equipment in
accordance with Stage II decommissioning procedures contained in the
directive.
Gasoline dispensing facilities equipped with Stage II
systems that are not decommissioned must continue to comply with existing
Stage II requirements until the Stage II requirements are repealed by
DEC.
A checklist that can be used to
document the procedure followed to decommission a Stage II vapor collection system is included in the directive.
PEI's decommissioning procedure and checklist are available at
www.pei.org/rp300.
PARTICIPATE IN THE PEI DISTRIBUTOR PROFITABILITY SURVEY
Each year, PEI distributors have the opportunity to participate in the
PEI Distributor Profitability survey, a detailed review that benchmarks
financial statements to industry norms in expenses, gross margin and
employee productivity.
The survey, distributed via email on May 31, consistently ranks as one of
the most highly valued of all member benefits. The words of one longtime
survey participant explain why:
"I have found that the Distributor Profitability survey is a very important
tool for several reasons. Firstly, the survey gives a complete financial
picture of the performance of your company for the year, which sets a base
for developing a strategic plan—thereby enabling you to set goals to improve
performance, identify weak areas and build on your strengths. Secondly, it
provides a measure of your performance against the industry—keeping you
acutely aware of your financial condition and providing comparative industry
figures that are not available anywhere else."
--Rob Bateman, President, Western Oil Services Ltd.
All survey information is compiled by a third party and treated with
complete confidentiality.
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OMB Approves EPA's E15 Misfueling Label Rule
NY State to Repeal Stage II VR Requirements
PEI Distributors: Participate in Profitability Survey
Respond to this Newsletter
by
e-mail to the editor, Robert Renkes at
rrenkes@pei.org
or
join the discussion in the
Petroleum Equipment Forum
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see below. |
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If you are a PEI distributor member and would like to participate in the survey,
please contact Chris Bouldin at (918) 494-9696, ext. 964 or
cbouldin@pei.org. Additional details, including
instructions on how to submit your information, are included in the
questionnaire. The deadline to return your completed questionnaire is June
30, 2011.
SENATE BACKS FUNDING FOR ETHANOL BLENDER PUMPS
The U. S. Senate voted 59-41 yesterday against a proposal that would
have blocked federal funds to help pay for ethanol blender pumps and storage
tanks at gasoline refueling stations. The Senate vote comes after the House
of Representatives voted earlier in the day to prohibit the Agriculture
Department from underwriting ethanol blender pumps and storage systems.
SENATE VOTES TO END ETHANOL INCENTIVES
The U. S. Senate voted to end longstanding ethanol incentives by a 73-27
margin yesterday, just two days after the chamber rejected an identical
measure. The Senate measure aims to eliminate the 45-cent-per-gallon ethanol
blending credit midway through 2011 and end the 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on
imported oil. Farm-state senators argued that the ethanol credits should be
phased out, not terminated at once. The White House issued a statement
saying it was against a full repeal of ethanol subsidies, indicating it
could use its veto power if the amendment continued to advance through
Congress.
PEI MEMBER NOTES
Petroleum Solutions, Inc., (PSI), McAllen, Texas, has opened a new
branch at 1533 South Treadaway, Abilene, Texas 79602. Overseeing sales and
operations is Dru Hall, former owner of West Texas Service Station Equipment
in Abilene. Email:
dhall@petroleumsolutionsinc.com. Phone: (325) 676-2371.
Veeder-Root, Simsbury, Connecticut, has named Mark Maybee president
of the company. He most recently served as the vice president of the Vapor
Recovery Business Unit at Veeder-Root.
PLUG-IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The General Services Administration announced that it will buy 101
Chevrolet Volts, 10 Nissan Leafs and five Think City EV models. The charging
stations for government vehicles will be installed in Detroit, Los Angeles,
San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., the Associated Press reports.
Hertz Corporation will expand its Global EV initiative to Washington,
D.C., adding Chevy Volts and Nissan Leafs to its fleet at Union Station.
Hertz is making the EVs available to members of Congress, employees on
Capitol Hill and the general public through its car-sharing program. The
Hertz car-sharing program has approximately 30,000 members and is available
in six countries and 54 university campuses.
Kwik Trip, La Crosse, Wisconsin, has installed 110-volt charging
stations at 25 of its locations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The
company intends to install electric charging stations at all new stores.―Midwest
Energy News.
STUDY: NO SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE IN MPG BETWEEN E5 & E10
A study conducted by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland shows
there is practically no difference between commercial petrol grades E5 and
E10 sold in Finland with regard to fuel consumption in normal driving. The
study showed that E10, which has a higher ethanol content, increases
consumption by 0.7 percent over E5.
FEDERAL FLEET BY 2015: NEW LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES
MUST BE POWERED BY ALTERNATIVE FUELS
All new light-duty vehicles purchased by the
federal government must be powered by alternative fuels by December 31,
2015, under a presidential memorandum on federal fleet performance issued
May 24. In addition, the memorandum directs the General Services
Administration to determine the optimal fleet size for all federal agencies
within 90 days and provide agencies with recommendations for
alternative-fuel vehicle acquisition and fleet optimization. Alternative-fuel vehicles include hybrid or electric vehicles or those that run on
compressed natural gas or biofuels, according to the memorandum, which also
requires that agencies locate alternative-fuel vehicles in proximity to
fueling stations "as soon as practicable."
OPEN FUEL STANDARD ACT
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced the Open Fuel
Standard Act of 2011 (H.R. 1687), which would require that 50 percent of new
automobiles in 2014, 80 percent in 2016 and 95 percent in 2017, be
warranted to operate on non-petroleum fuels in addition to, or instead of,
petroleum-based fuels. The legislation promotes the use of flex fuel
vehicles, hydrogen, electric plug-in, biodiesel and natural gas vehicles.
PROPANE GAS ACT PROPOSED
On May 27, the Propane Green Autogas Solutions Act of 2011 (H.R. 2014/S.
1120) was introduced to the House and Senate. The proposed legislation would
extend existing tax credits for the purchase of propane autogas as a motor
fuel, the purchase of propane autogas vehicles and the installation of
propane autogas refueling infrastructure through 2016.
RETIREMENTS
Charley Sunderhaus, risk manager and technical liaison for OPW Fueling
Components, is retiring June 30 after over 38 years with the company.
Charley's home email address is
sunderhaus@msn.com.
DEATHS
Mark "Babu Mzee" Jensen, husband of retired Xerxes sales and marketing
services manager Terry Jensen, died June 13. He was 65. Mark and Terry
became rostered volunteer ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
missionaries in 2003. At that time, Mark became the founding director of
the Institute of Agriculture, Tumaini University, Iringa, Tanzania, East
Africa. He was given the name Babu Mzee ("Old Grandpa") by the people of Tanzania. Survivors include his wife, Terry, of Annandale,
Minnesota; two daughters; and six grandchildren.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
California general contractor. Slunaker Construction, 3672 Chicago
Avenue, Suite B, Riverside, California 92507, has applied for service and
construction division membership. Greg Slunaker is president of the
firm, which was established in 2000. The company is a service station and
petroleum facility general contractor which also performs compliance testing
of aboveground and underground storage tanks. Sponsored for PEI membership
by B. A. Scowley, ShldsHarper, Martinez, CA.
www.slunakerconstruction.com
Texas fuel system installer. Innovative Fueling Solutions, 6507 Storage
Drive, Amarillo, Texas 79110, has applied for service and construction
division membership. Ted Billingsley is president of the firm, which was
established in 2010. The company installs and services equipment for fuel
systems. Sponsored for PEI membership by Richard H. Long, RDMElec, Nebo, NC.
www.innovativefuelingsolutions.com |
