If the state repeals a redundant Department of Environmental Protection rule that requires annual leak testing of gasoline tanker trucks in addition to federal inspection, and also requires the replacement of gas dispensers, Rally Stores and other fuel retailers could see substantial savings.
With 7,000 [image-nocss] stations statewide, that adds up to a total savings of $210 million to $280 million at $30,000 to $40,000 per station, according to Mitchell.
It is one of about 1,500 state rules slated for repeal out of more than 11,000 being examined, said the report. The regulation is one of 438 that Department of Environmental Protection staff has identified for repeal, and it has pegged another 284 for revision out of the 1,800 rules it has total.
He said that the gasoline vapor control rule is an unnecessary layer of government interference. "Presently, each time a tank truck connects to the loading rack it is monitored for leaks, and if a leak is found, the loading system will shutdown, so this is redundant to have an annual test," he told the newspaper.
Mitchell, who is also chairman of the Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association (FPMA), said doing away with the law will help the industry save time and money. Besides eliminating the redundant state inspection, the repeal removes the requirement for stations to replace gasoline dispensers at the pump with vapor recovery systems. He said that tanker trucks already recover vapors when they load fuel into underground tanks, and new technology in vehicles does it as well.
Clearwater, Fla.-based Rally Stores Inc. has 15 locations in Florida. It is part of The Risser Cos., which markets BP, Chevron, Rally and Texaco petroleum products throughout west central Florida.
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