Hearing: “Big Oil’s Double Standard for Measuring Gasoline”
June 8th, 2007 by Jesse LeeThe Oversight Subcommittee on Domestic Policy is currently holding a hearing, “Hot Fuel: Big Oil’s Double Standard for Measuring Gasoline.” The hearing is examining high gasoline prices, specifically addressing the “hot fuels” problem – during the summer, the amount of gasoline by weight in a gallon is less than the same gallon pumped during winter. Oil executives were invited to testify but did not appear.
Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Kucinich gives opening remarks:
Chairman Kucinich: “Existing technology can correct for temperature at the retail level. That technology is known as the automated temperature compensation, or ATC. One of our witnesses here today is the largest manufacturer automated temperature compensation devices in the world. The oil industry is not known for lacking business sense. In Canada the oil industry moved quickly to adopt automated compensation at the retail pump. We’ll be hearing testimony today that Canadian gasoline stations are almost universally equipped with temperature compensating technology, but in the US, where of course temperatures are often considerably warmer than they are in Canada… the oil industry has resisted equipping their gas stations with temperature compensating technology.” |
Rep. Elijah Cummings questions Michael Cleary, Chairman of the National Conference on Weights and Measures:
Rep. Cummings: “I’ve got to ask you this, there are suggestions of delaying the July vote on voluntary standards, how would such a delay be fair and equitable to the consumers you are charged with protecting and who are paying the $1.5 billion premium? … Have there been discussions about the delay of a vote?” Michael Cleary: “Yes sir, there has.” Rep. Cummings: “And what is the basis of the delay?” Michael Cleary: “The people who are calling for the issue to be reduced to an information item for the time being feel the issue is not ready yet for a vote, now if you asked me for my personal opinion… I feel the issue is ready for a vote and it should be voted on in July.” |
Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Kucinich and Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD-07) attempt to boil down the issues at hand:
Rep. Cummings: “You know, sometimes these kinds of hearings are held, and people find it so incredible that they find it unbelievable. People have a tendency to say, ‘well, wait a minute now, if that’s happening then there must be something that I’m missing, because it seems as if they would have addressed this by now,’ and that’s why I was so pointed, Mr. Cleary, with you… All they need to do is look at the profits of these oil companies, and look at the fact that this same methodology is being used in Canada, and look at the fact you can buy some gas in a cold month, and buy the same amount of gas in a hot month, and you will get less — am I right Mr. Seibert? — you’ll get less energy…” |