May. 14, 2008 at 12:18pm

Inspectors step up fuel station probes

With motorists facing sky-high fuel prices even before Memorial Day, the Washington State Department of Agriculture is stepping up motor vehicle fuel pump inspections to make sure drivers are getting their money's worth.

"May and June are priority months for our inspectors to test gas station meters," said Kirk Robinson, manager of the WSDA Weights and Measures Program. "With these record prices, drivers need to know they are getting what they pay for."

The state's 49,000 registered fuel pumps dispensing gasoline, diesel and biofuels are inspected every 28 months on average. Washington vehicles consume more than 4 billion gallons of gas and diesel fuel a year.

In the first three months of 2008, more than 1,800 fuel pumps were inspected. While 94 percent of the pumps were found to be accurate, 115 pumps were tagged temporarily out of service due to volume errors or other problems. A sticker on each pump that passes inspection shows consumers when the device was last tested and approved.

Posted in BE Daily, Law and Legislation, Manufacturing/Trade/Transportation by Steve Dunkelberger | Email Steve

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