COLUMBIA, Ga. -- Georgia State Senator Vincent Sheheen (D) has introduced a bill that would allow unstaffed gas stations, as long as the pumps automatically shut off at $65, said the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.
State Sen. Greg Ryberg (R) is a co-sponsor, the report said.
We think it's a good customer-service bill, Michael Fields, executive director of the South Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association, told the newspaper. Fields said the bill could make gasoline more accessible to people in rural areas, where there are no round-the-clock [image-nocss] stations. But it also would allow stations in cities and towns to provide fuel 24 hours a day, even if the stations cannot afford staff for a full-time operation, he said.
Sheheen said current code lets communities allow gasoline purchases after a station has closed if the station meets certain regulations, including automatic shutoffs.
Some communities, including his, do not allow that, however, he said. Citing safety concerns, the South Carolina Firefighters' Association is opposing the bill, said the report.
Sheheen said he added the $65 automatic shutoff requirement to address environmental concerns that large amount of fuel could be spilled, accidentally or on purpose.
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